State Customs authorities of the Republic of Belarus
07 April 2025
A 41-year-old driver tried to smuggle 580 kg of particularly powerful explosives of foreign manufacture (presumably from the United States) across the Belarusian-Polish border and then transport them to Russia.
He was traveling through the Brest checkpoint in a Mercedes vehicle. Based on the risk analysis system, customs officers sent the car for scanning using an inspection system.
The scan showed uncharacteristic darkening in the area of the floor of the car, as well as in the wall separating the cargo and passenger compartments.
Next, an in-depth inspection, which resulted in partial dismantling of the floor and wall of the car. These places turned out to be completely filled with a thick layer of light gray and light yellow matter.
Presumably, they tried to hide the explosive substance by covering it with vibration and noise insulation sheets and chipboard sheets. In order for the service dogs not to react to it, the inner edges of the body were treated with technical grease.
The substance was extracted with the involvement of competent specialists.
An examination promptly conducted by the Customs Laboratory confirmed that the detected substance was a powerful high explosive pentaerythritol tetranitrate (TEN) with a total amount of more than 580 kg. The driver was detained.
Brest Customs has opened a criminal case against a citizen and other unidentified persons under Part 2 of Article 333-1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus. The sanction of the article provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years.
