Combating smuggling and rerouting cargo. How Belarusian customs officers work

Customs officers in Belarus celebrate their professional holiday on September 20th . Clearing cargo and combating smuggling and illegal supply chains are part of their daily work. Despite challenging conditions, sanctions , and restrictions, customs continues to protect the country's economic interests. New technologies are being introduced, and infrastructure is being improved.
Eastward Vector

According to the State Customs Committee, the mechanisms implemented by the Belarusian side have enabled the continuation of foreign economic activity. The measures regarding re-contracting and reloading, adopted in response to sanctions, have prevented European carriers from monopolizing the market for transportation within the EAEU .

"Budget revenues from customs authorities remained virtually unchanged from last year. Due to the decline in trade relations with EU countries, Belarusian businesses have reoriented themselves toward friendly countries. The main flows of export cargo are directed primarily to routes to the east and south. Currently, the flow of goods to the east is already five times greater than to the west," the State Customs Committee noted.
Infrastructure Expansion

Measures are being taken to create conditions for citizens waiting to cross the border. Electronic registration is now available, as well as the ability to arrive at the checkpoint upon notification, without the mandatory entry into the waiting area.

Waiting areas near the checkpoints are being improved. In December, the development of a 280-space parking area for cars and buses at the Brest checkpoint will be completed, and in January 2026, a 780-space parking area for trucks at the Kozlovichi checkpoint will be completed.

In April, a large-scale reconstruction of the Berestovitsa checkpoint on the Belarusian-Polish border was completed.
Dangerous and Illegal Cargo:

The number of people wishing to smuggle goods across the border remains high. Various tricks are used, including hiding places and caches in cars, and double bottoms in suitcases and bags. Customs officers can detect these tricks using "large X-rays." All existing road checkpoints are equipped with inspection and screening systems, and certain trains also pass through them.

"A total of 14 such scanning systems are currently in use. An additional three mobile systems are planned for purchase by the end of 2025," the State Customs Committee reported.

The suppression of illegal border crossings and drug trafficking is under special control. This year alone, 234 criminal cases have been opened on such incidents. More than 1.1 tons of such substances, as well as over 7,700 units of medications containing psychotropic substances, have been seized.

During inspections, operational searches, and special operations, customs authorities also discovered more than 60 weapons and their components, as well as 4,200 rounds of ammunition. In April, the import of 580 kg of a powerful NATO-produced explosive was intercepted.
New developments:

Customs authorities have completely switched to remote cargo clearance at the electronic declaration center. Remote release of passenger cars has also been introduced.imported for personal use by Belarusian citizens.

"Considering that vehicle import logistics have shifted to the east and the main burden has fallen on customs clearance points in the Minsk and Vitebsk regions, passenger customs declarations are being distributed for clearance to other regions of the country," the State Customs Committee noted.

Since 2018, Belarus has been implementing a system for tracking transit shipments of goods using electronic seals. The use of these devices allows customs authorities to reduce the number of customs controls at checkpoints and monitor the movement of vehicles during their transit through the country. This year, a total of 220,000 seals have been applied.

Expert support

One of the unique departments is the customs laboratory. Its history began in December 1993 with the formation of the Department of Customs Research and Expertise of the Minsk Regional Customs. Since 2012, the laboratory has been part of the departmental Institute of Customs Authorities.
Initially, the range of goods examined consisted only of metals and alloys, certain types of chemical products, narcotic drugs, and psychotropic substances. The unit is now equipped with modern equipment that allows it to conduct not only customs but also forensic examinations.

It examines food products and light industry items, narcotics and psychotropic substances, potent and toxic substances, bladed weapons, conducts art and handwriting examinations, and verifies the authenticity of cash, documents, and other items.
Since 2023, gemological examination has been added to the list of services—the diagnostics and detailed study of precious stones (diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, and alexandrites), their imitations, and synthetic counterparts. The customs laboratory is one of the few in Belarus that performs such diagnostics.

"The laboratory's specificity is that the examination is conducted as part of customs control," explained Yana Nikandrova, head of the customs laboratory. "We have two main tasks. The first is monitoring restricted and prohibited items and products. The second is verifying that the product name matches the accompanying documents. We conduct several types of examinations, about 40% of which are for the detection of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, potent substances, and toxic substances. We examine liquids, medications, dietary supplements, powders, teas, food products, and more. The spectrum is very broad."
One recent example is the examination of pet food supplied to Belarus . The experts suspected counterfeiting. They needed to determine the protein content. It turned out that the level was normal, but due to the presence of urea, which is unsafe. The product was not allowed into the country.
Specialists also analyzed a large shipment of clothing imported from Europe as second-hand. It was discovered that all of the items (approximately 400) showed no signs of wear. The carrier was fined 30% of the item's value. Customs is

a responsible profession , not just border control ; it encompasses a multitude of different departments performing a large number of tasks. For example, Tatyana Ivanova, Head of the Department for Analysis and Control of Customs Procedures at the Minsk Regional Customs Office, has served in customs for over 15 years. Her job is to analyze and control customs transit: to ensure cargo is properly cleared, not lost in transit, and arrives at its destination on time. "Technology has advanced greatly in recent years. Digitalization is very helpful and covers a wide range of procedures. But when you interact with people, sometimes unusual, non-standard situations arise that require timely decisions. We are always ready to respond promptly," she said. Another area of ​​customs officers' work is analyzing X-ray images obtained using inspection and screening systems. There are three types of such devices: stationary, rail-mounted, and mobile. "The main objective is to prevent prohibited goods and substances, such as drugs, weapons, and ammunition, from entering the country. National security depends, among other things, on the attentiveness of the operator-analyst," emphasized Ivan Danilovich, Head of the Customs Control Operations Department at the Minsk Regional Customs Office. "Over the course of ten years of practice, we've encountered various cases. For example, we discovered a batch of small arms ammunition hidden in the technical compartments of a tractor. A black spot was visible in the image. We conducted an inspection and discovered boxes containing bullets." One of the largest divisions of the Minsk Regional Customs Office is the Minsk National Airport customs post. "We operate under significant passenger traffic conditions. Businessmen, tourists, athletes, and diplomats fly into our airport. We need to find a personal approach to each individual and respond promptly to unusual situations. "At the same time, we always remain friendly, so that those visiting Belarus have only positive impressions of the country," shared Ekaterina Labkovich, Deputy Head of Customs Operations and Control Department No. 1 at Customs Post Minsk National Airport. "The most memorable experiences for me are meeting famous people, show business stars, and sports delegations. We sometimes uncover violations, mainly related to the carriage of cash. A few years ago, during a questioning of a passenger on a flight, doubts arose about the purpose of his visit. After the inspection, it was discovered that the man was carrying narcotics. We responded quickly."










International mail is also processed at customs. Parcels are inspected both upon entry and exit from Belarus. The majority of goods shipped are candy, souvenirs, clothing, tableware, and bed linens. Duty-free import is 200 euros, up to a maximum of 31 kg. Weapons, weapon parts, narcotics, alcohol, tobacco products, and cash are prohibited in parcels.

Inna Melnichenko, Head of Customs Operations and Control Department No. 2 at Minsk Post, explained that all mail is X-rayed. Accompanying documents and information are also checked. If an employee has any doubts, the parcels are manually inspected by postal employees.
"I want to assure you: the possibility that customs officers broke, took, planted, or discarded something during inspection is excluded. All international mail is opened jointly with a postal employee, and video surveillance is mandatory. The postal operator is responsible for its safety."
The Customs Service demonstrates high adaptability, promptly implementing changes to procedures and control standards. Despite the challenges, customs officers continue to effectively perform their duties and seek new opportunities for development.
Nadezhda Matveeva, 
photo by Sergei Shelega,
BelTA.