Video: Attempt to Export Fish Eggs with Incorrect Declaration

The Tax and Customs Enforcement Department of the Republic of Armenia, together with the NSS’s Tavush regional division in Noyemberyan, has uncovered plans by a local organization to export "sturgeon" fish species eggs from Armenia to Russia by declaring the goods under a false name.

The Tax Committee reports that, to verify the authenticity of received operational information, its enforcement officers subjected to customs control 4,520 kg of whole weight and 3,840 kg of net weight of "beluga" caviar, declared for export from Armenia to Russia under a transit declaration. Sufficient suspicion arose that a significant portion of this may actually consist of "sturgeon" fish species eggs.

As a result of the surveillance, it was found that instead of the declared 4,520 kg of whole weight and 3,840 kg of net weight of "beluga" fish species reddish caviar, there were 4,918 kg of whole weight and 4,260 kg of net weight of yellowish grain caviar resembling sturgeon fish. According to the RA Government's decision No. 2002, a temporary ban has been imposed on the export of sturgeon fish eggs from Armenia. Consequently, samples were taken from the detected yellowish grain caviar resembling sturgeon fish to determine their true species. A data ichthyological examination was appointed.

According to the examination's conclusion, the declared products were not "beluga" fish species but were found to be salmonidae family fish eggs. In connection with this fact, a report on customs violations was prepared under the provisions of Article 316 of the RA Law on Customs Regulation, and the compiled materials were submitted to the legal department of the RA Tax Committee for further proceedings.