The Latvian State Revenue Service (SRS) sent materials on violations of the law to the prosecutor’s office in order to initiate criminal proceedings against a local businessman who was suspected of illegal activities. He received shipments of pellets from Belarus, which were made from wood waste and used as fuel for electricity and heating.
These pellets were prohibited from being imported into the EU since July 9th, 2022, due to sanctions. In September 20th, a truck entered Latvia from Belarus and was checked by customs officials. They had suspicions that the accompanying documents were not genuine.
The inspection showed that the pellets were from Belarus.
In total, the local businessman received 174 shipments of pellets worth 835 thousand euros. Additionally, it was found that the right to tax deduction was used unreasonably, resulting in damage to the state budget exceeding 173 thousand euros.
A criminal case has been initiated under several articles, including “Violation of Sanctions Imposed by International Organizations and the Republic of Latvia”, which carries a maximum penalty of 4 years imprisonment.
