Cargo Truck Had to Carry Furniture Parts, But Other Goods Were Discovered: ASC Reveals

In recent times, there has been a noticeable trend regarding the submission of inaccurate information regarding the origin of goods on customs declarations for cargo trucks crossing the country’s border. This trend includes improper declaration of goods.

As a result of consistent monitoring by the Eastern Customs Administration of the State Revenue Committee, a new violation of customs regulations has been uncovered. A cargo truck entering the Bagratashen customs post was found to contain undeclared goods.

During the customs control inspection, it was revealed that the goods in the truck were declared incorrectly. According to the documents submitted to the customs authorities, the truck was supposed to carry laminated sheets for furniture, metallic legs for furniture, slides, handles, electric stoves for kitchens, and exhaust cabinets. However, different goods were actually discovered in the vehicle, in completely different quantities.

According to the information provided by the Communication and Public Relations Department of the ASC, the inspection of the boxes revealed signs of relabeling. It was also determined that the country of origin of the goods indicated in the documents was Russia, while the boxes bore labels of another country, China. The goods detected by customs officers and the transport vehicle have been seized, and a record of the violation of customs rules has been created.

In accordance with the EAEU customs code, in order to confirm the origin of the goods, the director of the transporting company has been requested to provide a certificate of origin for the goods, as the facts already uncovered indicate that the information about the origin of the product presented in the customs declaration is not accurate.

In all similar cases, as part of the preparation of materials, a calculation of underpaid customs fees is conducted. If the calculated amount of damage to the state exceeds 4 million drams, a criminal case is initiated under Article 205 of the Criminal Code, and the cargo is confiscated by the investigator's decision.

A criminal case has been initiated in connection with this uncovered case, and a comprehensive investigation is underway. Additionally, it has been revealed that the goods transported by the company were actually purchased in Georgia and imported into the Republic of Armenia from Georgia under a re-export customs procedure.

The materials related to this case have been forwarded to the Investigation and Operational Search Department of the Republic of Armenia’s ASC for further proceedings.