During an inspection of a truck at the Kukuryki checkpoint in Koroszczyn (Kazlovichy on the Belarusian side), Polish customs officers discovered an attempt to circumvent sanctions by supplying aircraft tires to Belarus.
According to the National Tax Administration, the driver was transporting tires used in Boeing civilian aircraft instead of the declared car and bus tires. The tires weighed a total of five tons.
The transit of these goods through Belarus and Russia is subject to EU sanctions due to the situation in Belarus and its participation in Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
The consignor of the goods was a Spanish company, and the recipient was an Azerbaijani company.
A criminal case has been opened in connection with customs fraud. The sanctioned goods were detained.
Due to sanctions, maintaining and repairing American Boeing aircraft in Belarus has become much more complicated. It is unclear how many are currently in the Belavia fleet. In 2022, the company's deputy head, Uladzimir Barkun, spoke about 14 Embraer and Boeing aircraft; the previous year, there were 29. Currently, the only way to obtain the necessary parts for Boeing is through gray imports. You can also buy used parts, but all of this has become more expensive and repairs take longer.
Yakub Khrust / belsat.eu
