Customs authorities checked more than 4 million parcels from the EAEU in 2024, prohibited cargo was found in 460

February 7, MINSK . Since January 2024 , customs authorities have been monitoring parcels for Belarusian citizens from the EAEU states , and out of over 4 million checked, 460 were found to contain prohibited cargo. This was announced by Vladimir Orlovsky, Chairman of the State Customs Committee, during a board meeting where the results of the work of the State Customs Committee in 2024 were summed up and the tasks for the current year were outlined, a BELTA correspondent reports.

it was emphasized that all Belarusian road checkpoints on the border are equipped with modern scanning equipment, the use of which helps to significantly reduce the time for checking cargo, vehicles, baggage and mail.

"Last year, we completed the modernization of the stationary complex at the Kozlovichi checkpoint on the border with Poland. To strengthen control over the flow of goods from the eastern direction, we also purchased and placed in Minsk the country's first inspection and screening complex for scanning vehicles inside the country. In 2025, we plan to buy three more complexes," the HEAD of the State Customs Committee announced.

Since January 2024, control of parcels coming from the EAEU countries and intended for citizens of Belarus has also been organized. In six places, using X-ray machines, customs officers checked more than 4 million postal items, most of which were checked at the Minsk regional customs office. Vladimir Orlovsky drew attention to the fact that in 460 cases, customs specialists found goods prohibited or restricted for import into Belarus , firearms and bladed weapons, dual-use goods and medicines containing psychotropic and potent substances.

"We, together with Belpochta, have organized electronic data exchange since January 1. The mechanism is as follows: a customs officer finds a parcel in an electronic database using a unique registration number, and after completing the check, makes a note. This way, we can analyze individual parcels in the electronic database," explained the Chairman of the State Customs Committee.

The use of navigation seals remains one of the effective mechanisms for controlling the transportation of goods. Since 2020, more than 1.7 million electronic devices have already been used in Belarus.

"It was decided to implement this mechanism within the Union State. Since January 27 of this year, navigation seals have been used for the transportation of ALCOHOL and tobacco, high-risk goods and dangerous goods across the territory of Belarus and RUSSIA. To date, 700 navigation seals have already been applied," the head of the State Customs Committee cited the figures. "I would like to note that we already had experience in the bilateral use of electronic seals with Russia. On our initiative, in 2023, they began to be used in relation to Belarusian timber when exporting it through Russia to third countries. About 2 thousand have been used."

The board of the Customs Committee also raised issues of increasing the transit attractiveness of Belarus, digitalization of the industry, updating the customs infrastructure and maintaining human resources.