Customs Criminal Board of the State Revenue Service (SRS), as a priority combating organized crime activities in the area of violation of customs regulations and at the same time reinforcing fight against smuggling of excise goods, within the framework of criminal procedures started in 5 months of this year in total has seized the largest amount of drugs and cigarettes in its history for the respective time period - in total more than 150 kilograms of various narcotic substances, 18.2 tons of tobacco and 32.7 million cigarettes of various brands.

Director of the SRS Customs Criminal Board Marjans Burijs: "By reinforcing fight against organized crime, as well as by carrying out reinforced measures to combat smuggling of excise goods, the SRS Customs Criminal Board’s officers are succeeding in detecting more and more cases of smuggling and seize increasingly larger amounts of illegally imported excise goods and narcotic substances. At the same time it has to be pointed out that along with carrying out these reinforced measures the work of our staff is becoming more complicated and dangerous. Offenders more often do not comply with orders of our officers, physically resist in the course of customs control measures, consequently more often when arresting persons the officers are forced to use handcuffs and physical force. Smugglers also use more complicated methods to conceal goods that they are trying to import illegally".

In total during 5 months of this year the SRS Customs Criminal Board has started 143 criminal procedures, which is almost two times more than the number of criminal procedures started in the same period last year (in 5 months of 2009 - 74 criminal procedures). In 5 months of this year 66 criminal procedures were sent for starting criminal procedure (in the respective period of 2009 - 47 criminal procedures). Comparing the structure of criminal procedures started in 2009 and 2010, it can be concluded that still the highest percentage of criminal procedures started accounts for smuggling of narcotic and psychotropic substances, as well as smuggling of excise goods. This year on smuggling of narcotic or psychotropic substances 83 criminal procedures were started, which is 58% of all criminal procedures (in the respective period of last year - 37 criminal procedures which was 50 of all the criminal procedures started). This year on smuggling of excise goods 54 criminal procedures were started, which is 37% of all the criminal procedures started (in the respective period of last year - 31 criminal procedure which was 41% of all criminal procedures started).

Within the framework of started criminal procedures in five months of this year the authorities seized in total more than 150 kg of various narcotic substances, within the framework of criminal procedures started and recorded administrative violations the authorities seized 18.2 tons of tobacco and 32.7 million cigarettes of various brands which is two times more than in the respective period of last year (to compare - within the framework of criminal procedures started and drafted administrative violation protocols the authorities seized 13.2 million cigarettes of various brands). Within the framework of criminal procedures started this year the authorities seized also 1 603 litres of alcohol (in the respective period of last year - 231.8 litres). If the total amount of the cigarettes seized in 5 months of this year would be sold, the damage to the state in terms of unpaid taxes would amount to LVL 6.1 million.

As a result of the SRS Customs Criminal Board measures to restrict illegal circulation of excise goods the authorities seized approximately 30 tons of spirits. The files have been forwarded to the Economic Police Department of the State Police for examination.

04.06.2010.

SRS Communications Division
(Phone: 67028691, 67028695, 29350642)