The import of euro notes into Russia has begun to result in fines of up to 2,400 euros.
The importation of euro banknotes is prohibited by sanctions from the European Union, and fines are now being imposed for such imports.
During the month, the Estonian Tax and Customs Board (MTA) initiated 144 cases related to sanctioned goods and fined individuals €26,000.
“The awareness of people crossing the border regarding goods subject to sanctions is increasing, but there are still cases of concealment. Customs controls are catching fewer and fewer violations due to ignorance or mistakes, while cases of deliberate concealment are on the rise. If previously a customs official could force a border offender to return or surrender low-value sanctioned items, now violating sanctions entails legal proceedings and penalties corresponding to the act committed,” said Voldemar Linno, head of customs control at MTA.
According to the MTA, euro banknotes remain the most common sanctioned commodity. During the month, customs prevented the import of more than 120,000 Euros into Russia. For the first month, the minimum fine imposed on an individual for transporting Euros was 40 Euros, and the maximum was 2,400 Euro.
In addition to fines for transporting euro’s, administrative cases were initiated during the month regarding the transfer of various electronic components, media, tools, and cosmetic products into Russia. The most frequent cases of administrative violations against entry from Russia involved the importation of cigarettes.
On April 27, amendments to the law went into effect, according to which importing or exporting sanctioned goods or cash in amounts up to 10,000 euro in Estonia is considered an offence. Previously, sanctions violations were only punished if they were intentional.
