Checking the unusual cargo

Grodno customs officers detain resident of Germany trying to transport 28 mammoth tusks and 400kg of bone across Belarusian-Polish border
Grodno customs officers detain resident of Germany trying to transport 28 mammoth tusks and 400kg of bone across Belarusian-Polish border

Customs officers have to tackle unusual cargo

Workers at the Bruzgi-2 customs checkpoint have discovered illegal goods in a Volkswagen car, following their suspicions being raised over the authenticity of documents for objects of cultural value. The Deputy Head of Grodno Regional Customs, Nikolay Bogaleysha, comments that thorough checks are always made before cargo is released. “A great variety of documents limit even excavations so when our officers saw almost 30 polished and carved tusks without a certificate specifying that they had no cultural value, we were suspicious.”

The German national explains that he has long been collecting such objects for personal pleasure, without commercial intention and notes that the tusks are small in size, being skilfully pasted together from fragments. However, even the smallest parts of ancient animals have value, so Grodno customs officers are now investigating the situation and its legality, as well as the authenticity of documents.

By Tatiana Kondratieva
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