A criminal case was opened on the fact of smuggling of 20 tons of white and green nephrite in Altai Krai of Russia. Interfax reported with reference to the press center of the Siberian Customs Administration.
«Criminals planned to smuggle 20 tons of the mineral for 50 million rubles by trucks to Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan through Veseloyarsk checkpoint in Altai Krai. When passing the border control, they planned to submit fake shipping documents,» the statement said.
According to the media outlet, the investigators received information about illegal extraction of nephrite in Buryatia and its storage in Irkutsk Oblast for its subsequent export. In particular, the fact of absence of documents confirming the legal origin of nephrite and its ownership was found out.
The vehicles with transported natural mineral were detained.