Increase in illegal currency imports from Uzbekistan to Russia rise, reports Federal Customs Service (FTS).
Russian customs data shows that since the introduction of a ban on exporting cash foreign currency exceeding $10,000 in March 2022, there have been 8,337 detected attempts to illegally transport currency out of the country, totaling 900 mn rubles (approximately $10 mn).
The first half of this year has witnessed a rise in such attempts compared to the second half of the previous year. For instance, in the second half of 2022, 3,105 administrative offences were recorded, amounting to 308.6 mn rubles ($3.36 mn), while in the first half of this year, there were 3,601 cases totaling 423.4 mn rubles ($4.61 mn).
The most common currencies involved in illegal imports or exports of cash are the Russian ruble, US dollars, euros, Turkish lira, and UAE dirhams.
Turkish, UAE, Azerbaijani, and Serbian destinations have been frequently reported for cash exports, while cash imports have predominantly originated from Turkey, the UAE, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan.
Furthermore, attempts to illegally export cash from Russia have occurred six times more frequently than import attempts.
The FTS attributes the rise in illegal currency imports and exports to the difficulty of conducting money transfers through banks and the limited use of Russian bank cards in certain countries.
UZCARD suspended operations with "Mir" cards. On September 15, the U.S. The Treasury announced new sanctions against Russia, including the operator of the "Mir" payment system, Vladimir Komlev. Foreign banks have warned about the risk of secondary sanctions when using the Russian payment system.
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