Finnish Customs investigates over 700 violations of anti-Russian sanction

The Customs press service has reported that Finland's control over compliance with sanctions has yielded results. A total of 29,000 violations in the transportation of goods were identified, 2,800 targeted inspections were conducted, and 740 preliminary investigations were initiated.

Sami Rakshit, the Director of the Customs Control Department, stated that sanctions continue to evolve to close loopholes for bypassing restrictions.

"Within customs supervision, we have identified several attempts to circumvent sanctions, such as the use of forged customs documents or attempts to conceal the ownership structure of companies and the real destinations of goods," Rakshit explained.

According to him, after the border closure, trade between the two countries shifted to the railway checkpoint Vainikkala and the ports of southern Finland. He also noted that customs officials will pay special attention to attempts to circumvent sanctions on these routes.

Closing of Finland's borders with Russia

To recap, on November 30, 2023, Finland decided to close all border crossings on the border with Russia due to an influx of illegal migrants from the Russian side.

In mid-December, the Finnish government resumed the operation of two border checkpoints. However, due to a new wave of migrants, the border had to be closed again.

It's worth noting that the Prime Minister of Finland, Petteri Orpo, rejected the possibility of reopening the border with Russia. According to him, the issue with illegal migrants has not been resolved.

Recently, the Finnish government decided to extend the closure of the border with Russia for another two months. Thus, the border checkpoints will remain closed at least until April 14.