PSKOV. Oct 9 (Interfax-AVN) - The suspected smugglers of military gear and equipment to Latvia, among them ex-servicemen, have been sentenced to 2.5 and 3.2 years in jail, a spokesman for the Pytalovsky Court in Pskov region told Interfax.
"The convicts are ex-servicemen Valery Belov, Lt. Col. Oleg Sych and Leonid Solodukha, and civilians A.Kaidaka and S.Panarada," the spokesman said.
Sych was sentenced to 2.5 years in a general prison and he will be fined 20,000 rubles. Belov will spend three years and two months in a general prison. Solodukha, Kaidaka and Panarada received suspended sentences.
Sych and Belov were charged with provoking a large-scale theft, while Belov, Solodukha, Kaidaka and Panarada were charged with smuggling.
Investigators have established that the offenders attempted to smuggle stolen military gear and equipment to Latvia through the Ubylinka customs checkpoint of the Pskov Customs department.