STAVROPOL. June 9 (Interfax-AVN) - The North Caucasus Regional Border Guard Directorate has confiscated RUB24m's (USD826,560) worth of smuggled goods in 2004.
"Just in the past five months alone border guards jointly with other law-enforcement agencies have confiscated in excess of RUB24m's (USD826,560) worth of smuggled goods from trespassers. The North Caucasus Regional Border Guard Directorate has also issued fines for a total of RUB2.2m (USD75,800)," the Directorate's press-service told Interfax-Military News Agency on Wednesday.
Within that period of time a total of 5.5 million citizens and in excess of 700,000 vehicles have crossed the border, the press-service said.
The Rostov border guard unit, guarding one of the sectors of the Russian-Ukrainian border, apprehended seven Ukrainian citizens, attempting to smuggle 16 tonnes of coal into Russia, on Tuesday.
The same unit also stopped a truck, carrying six tons of Ukrainian coal. Border guards are investigating the reasons for smugglers' illegally crossing the border.