Fraudulent Shipment Originated In Spain, Criminal Proceedings Begun

Customs officials in Poland intercepted a shipment of five tons of aircraft tires intended for Boeing civilian aircraft in Azerbaijan, in suspected violation of European union sanctions. The seizure occurred during a routine inspection by personnel of the Lublin National Revenue Administration, or KAS, at the Koroszczyn border crossing.

The Lublin Customs and Tax Office said the shipment was declared as tires for buses and trucks, but upon inspection they were found to be specialized aircraft tires.

The KAS said in a statement, “The transit of such goods through the territory of Belarus and Russia is subject to sanctions under Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilizing the situation in Ukraine and Council Regulation (EC) No 765/2006 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Belarus and Belarus’s participation in Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.”

The shipment apparently originated from a company in Spain and was destined for an entity in Azerbaijan, and officials said the misdeclaration constitutes customs fraud. Criminal tax proceedings have been initiated.

The KAS statement continued, “The sanctioned goods were detained. The investigation into the violation of sanctions regulations is being conducted by the Lublin UCS.”

This incident is another example of an increasing trend in attempts to bypass international sanctions related to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

A similar incident occurred in the U.S. in 2023 when Customs and Border Protection seized a landing gear component for a Boeing 737-800 at Miami international Airport (KMIA). It had been purchased by a middleman shipper based in the Kyrgyz Republic for use servicing Russian aircraft in violation of U.S. sanctions.

FMI:  www.gov.pl/