North-West customs administration: control of the operations of the tobacco and tobacco products and measures to detect the illegal movement of cigarettes through sea, road and rail border crossings will be strengthened

For the first half of 2020 through the checkpoints in the region of SZTU imported about 8 thousand tons of tobacco products, removed more than 12 tons.

15 July 2020 held a working meeting of the Board Severo-the Western customs office (SZTU) at summarising of execution of the customs authorities of the region plan of events, aimed at strengthening control over the export/import, transit of and trafficking in tobacco products with the territory and the territory of the Russian Federation in 2020. The event was held in the format of a video mode.

Presentations on the topic made acting head of the Department of coordination and application of risk management system – an operational monitoring center and risk management service of the organisation of customs control SZTU Dmitry Golovko, acting head of the Department of organization of customs control Sergey Danilov, head of the Pskov customs office Sergey Dyachkov, head of the Baltic customs Sergei Senko.

As noted by the Board, for the first half of 2020 through the checkpoints in the region of activities of customs SZTU imported almost 8 thousand tons of tobacco products, which is 55 % more than in the same period of 2019. With a significant import increase was observed in Kingisepp, Vyborg and Baltic customs.

The total increase in the import of tobacco products was mainly due to the raw tobacco and waste: in the first half of 2020, more than 4 288 tons, 1.57 times more than in the same period of 2019.

Manufactured tobacco during this period, imported more than 2 844 tons (an increase compared to the same period last year, 1.84 times). The number of imported cigars, cigarettes, cigarillos declined from 760 tons in the first half of 2019 to 722 tonnes in the first half of 2020 (by 4.99%).

In the structure of imported tobacco products is still dominated by raw tobacco and waste – more than 54%. The importation of manufactured tobacco and its substitutes rose to 36% (in the first half of 2019 – 30%), while the import of cigarettes dropped from 15% in the first half of 2019 to 9% in the first half of 2020.

As importers of tobacco products were mainly made by large tobacco manufacturers that are parties to foreign economic activities of low risk, authorized economic operators, first of all, JSC “Philip Morris Izhora”, JSC “British American tobacco-SPb”, LLC “Kress Neva”.

Through the checkpoints of customs offices of the North-Western customs territory of the Russian Federation 619 removed more than 12 tons of tobacco products, of which 94% is in manufactured tobacco; more than 2% for waste, raw materials; more than 3% on cigarettes. Manufactured tobacco exported about 12,000 tons: cigars, cigarillos, cigarettes more 398 tons, raw tobacco, tobacco waste – more than 311 tons).

High consumer demand for tobacco products, as well as the high share of excise duties and taxes in the price of tobacco products in the domestic market of the Russian Federation contribute to the growth of illicit trade in tobacco products and serious losses of Federal revenues.

Low excise taxes on cigarettes in the countries of the Eurasian economic Union doing illegal import of tobacco products is rather profitable business. Moreover, the smuggled tobacco products designed not only for the domestic market, where its share increased to 15%, but for subsequent illegal export to the EU.

Prevention, detection and suppression of illegal import–export of cigarettes and other tobacco products are an important focus of the North-Western customs administration.

In the first half of 2020 in the region of SZTU in respect of tobacco and tobacco products, and goods cover was held more than 17 thousand customs inspections using inspection complexes (IDC) and 439 of the customs inspections.

For monitoring the importation and exportation of tobacco products and goods cover, the availability of geocaching, was approved 614 of target risk profiles, which is 12 times more than in the same period last year.

Just in the first half of 2020 at the facts identifying trade and non-trade sales of cigarettes, tobacco and other goods 24 groups of the FEACN of the cu was initiated 102 cases on administrative offenses, from them when crossing the border by individuals – 78 cases; trade – 24.

Dmitry Golovko, acting head of Department for coordination and application of risk management system – an operational monitoring center and risk management service of the organisation of customs control SZTU: “Conventionally, there are following schemes of illegal import and export of tobacco products across the border: the concealment of tobacco products in technology, or in specially constructed cavities of vehicles moving cigarettes under the guise of goods cover hiding the cigarettes directly in the “product cover” by creating it caches, as well as a statement of false information about the characteristics of goods placed under the customs procedure of customs transit, entering information about actual export of goods 24 groups HS the EEU in the electronic database of the actual export without finding them in the customs control zone, the so-called “reexport”. In addition, violations identified in the import and export by physical persons of tobacco products in accompanied Luggage and hand Luggage in excess of established standards.
After the closure of the borders for physical persons (in connection with the fight against a new coronavirus infection), customs authorities increasingly began to identify cigarettes and other products, including the banned in the cabins of drivers of goods vehicles“.

For the execution of the plan of activities of FCS of Russia for 2020, aimed at strengthening control over the export/import, transit of and trafficking in tobacco products with the territory and the territory of the Russian Federation, organized to maintain a single database on the facts of detection and suppression of illegal movement and trafficking of tobacco products. In the North-West customs administration and customs offices of the region identified the officials responsible for the timely introduction of the database complete and accurate information. Operational content of the database allows to identify similar patterns in other customs bodies.

Attempts of illegal movement of cigarettes are taken at different sections of the border.

As noted in his report, the chief of the Pskov customs office Sergey Dyachkov, a series of events on the Russian-Belarusian border also revealed several schemes illegal movement of tobacco products from the Republic of Belarus in the Russian Federation: it is the movement of goods by individuals from Belarus in small batches and import of tobacco products with the use of the products cover. The purpose of the implementation of such schemes – the illicit trade in tobacco products on the territory of the Russian Federation without excise stamps.

Sergey Dyachkov: “In General held in Pskov custom work on identification and suppression of crimes related to the illegal movement of tobacco products for the current period 2020 revealed a number of crimes and offences, the consequence of which was the initiation of the 6 criminal cases under article 200.2 of the criminal code, the cost of illegal movement of goods (cigarettes) amounted to 81 million rubles, seized 973 600 packs of cigarettes, opened 35 cases on administrative violations, imposed fines in the amount of 108 thousand rubles confiscated goods worth 73 million 657 thousand rubles“.

Sea crossings are of particular interest to business and Baltic customs pays special attention to control of export/import, transit of and trafficking in tobacco products, said the head of the Baltic customs Sergei Senko:

“For the period from April to July, the customs office revealed 7 cases of concealment of cigarettes from customs control. Goods cover was Board, noise absorbing panels, insulation fabric, furniture parts and door panels. In all cases, have been concealed cigarette production in the Republic of Belarus.
Already identified in 2020 the facts of illegal movement of tobacco products with concealment from customs control customs brought 6 criminal cases 1 criminal case on materials of the customs office has opened a North-Western operational customs.
Currently, according to the results of a complex quickly-search actions conducted by the Baltic customs, 4 criminal cases: 2 under part 1 of article 173.1 of the criminal code and 2 criminal cases under part 1 of article 173.2 of the criminal code in relation to specific individuals – the nominal heads of the organizations of traders, which were used for the attempt of smuggling of tobacco products“.

Summing up the meeting of the Board, head of North West customs Department Alexander Occasion commended conducted by the Baltic customs work on the implementation plans aimed at strengthening control over the export/import, transit of and trafficking in tobacco products. At the same time, he emphasized that the Pskov customs, despite these positive results will strengthen work in this direction.

Also the head of Department set the task in front of all customs authorities in the region to ensure a high level of control of tobacco products and the illegal movement of cigarettes through sea, road, air and rail checkpoints.

Examples of the most significant arrests:

12 January 2020 at the customs post MAPP of Shumilkino in the region of the Pskov customs on the results of customs inspection (including the inspection results with the use of IIR) identified 74 thousand packs of cigarettes (in the movement of goods, the “Board”).

April 18, 2020 at the customs post MAPP Ubylinka in the region deyatlnosti of the Pskov customs on the results of customs inspection identified 155 thousand 520 packets of cigarettes (in the movement of goods – “Feed additives”, the operative information on illegal movement provided by the FSB of Russia in the Pskov region).

In April, Baltic customs foiled 5 facts of smuggling of cigarettes in total identified 1 million 234 thousand 748 packs of cigarettes.

24 June 2020 at the customs post MAPP Burachki in the region of the Baltic customs on customs inspection results (including the results of the examination with the use of IIR) identified 435 258 thousand packs of cigarettes (in the movement of goods – “waste paper”).

July 3, 2020 in the region of the Baltic customs under the guise of door panels identified 188 thousand packs of cigarettes.

Department of public relations, North