Finland to seize cars with Russian license plates
Finland will be able to seize cars with Russian license plates (photo: pixabay.com)
Starting today, March 16, the police in Finland will be able to impound cars with Russian license plates. Drivers of cars with Russian plates must prove their right to use the vehicle in Finland, according to Yle.
It is noted that the customs service does not have information on how many such vehicles are currently in the country. Sami Rakshit, the director of the customs control department, stated that the department does not systematically monitor the number of Russian cars.
According to him, the police, border guards, or customs officers can now, for example, stop a car with Russian plates and demand a reason for being in the country. The police and customs authorities can detain a vehicle if there are no such reasons. Cars with Russian plates can be used, for example, by full-time students or people working under an urgent employment contract.
Ban on entry of cars with Russian license plates
Earlier, on September 13, 2023, Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia announced that, following clarifications from the European Commission regarding sanctions, they would no longer admit cars with Russian license plates onto their territory.
Thus, in the event of a car with Russian registration arriving at the border, the driver and passengers will be forced to return to Russia, or they may cross the border without the car, which may be confiscated.
Recently, the first passenger car with Russian registration plates was detained in Lithuania. Currently, it may be transferred to Ukraine. It was also reported that law enforcement officers in Latvia confiscated the first car with Russian registration plates after the introduction of this rule in the country.
