Regional News

Belarusian, Russian law enforcers to act together to suppress illegal alcohol turnover

The interior ministries of Belarus and Russia intend to stage joint operations in order to suppress illegal production, transportation and sale of alcohol-containing products, Belarus Deputy Interior Minister Viktor Filistovich said in Vitebsk today. He is taking part in a meeting of law enforcers from bordering oblasts of Belarus and Russia.

During the meeting the law enforcers are expected to work out a plan of joint actions to be taken in the bordering oblasts and to define a system for sharing information about illegal transportation schemes and channels as well as criminals.

Viktor Filistovich noted, the meeting is held following an order of the Belarusian and Russian interior ministers, as illegal turnover of alcohol products is still a problem both in Russia and Belarus.

Evaluating efforts of Belarusian law enforcement agencies in the field, Viktor Filistovich said they were effective. This year over 520 tonnes of alcohol-containing products and around 450,000 litres of home-brewed alcohol were seized. Last year’s figures were 920 tonnes and 620 tonnes respectively. As a positive example of cooperation between Belarusian and Russian police the official referred to the joint operation staged by the Vitebsk Oblast Police Department and the Pskov Oblast Police Department. The operation stopped an attempt to smuggle 1.5 tonnes of alcohol-containing liquids to Belarus.

The meeting held to discuss the fight against the illegal turnover of alcohol-containing products is taking place in Vitebsk on May 17-18. The meeting has gathered heads of public security units and economic crime units of Vitebsk, Gomel, Mogilev, Bryansk, Smolensk, and Pskov oblasts as well as police chiefs of the bordering areas.