Customs officials in Brest thwarted an attempt to illegally transport 95 hardware crypto wallets across the Belarus-Poland border. This was reported by the SCC of Belarus.
A 35-year-old Belarusian was driving a Ford Transit from Poland through the Brest checkpoint. To covertly transport the Ledger Nano S devices, he concealed them within the structural cavities of the minivan beneath the upholstery.
The man was traveling through the green corridor, ostensibly without goods requiring declaration. However, customs officers decided to inspect the vehicle.
In his explanation, the driver stated that strangers in Poland had asked him to transport the devices. He decided to hide the crypto wallets to avoid “unnecessary” questions at the border.
The goods and the vehicle used for concealment have been confiscated.
According to the customs agency, the batch of devices is valued at approximately 44,000 rubles (~$13,415). This suggests that the SCC set the price of a Ledger Nano S at ~$141. On the manufacturer’s website, this model of crypto wallet is priced at €65.83 or $71.64.
The customs initiated an administrative process against the Belarusian under part 2 of article 15.1 of the Administrative Code of Belarus. By court decision, he will pay a fine of up to 30 base units (~$366) and may also lose the illegally transported goods and the minivan.
Since September, a presidential decree in Belarus prohibits individuals from buying and selling cryptocurrencies outside registered exchanges and exchangers in the country.