One arrested at Sarpi border for attempting to smuggle gold jewellery worth over GEL 410,000

Officers from the Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance of Georgia, in joint coordination with the Customs Department of the Revenue Service and the General Prosecutor’s Office, have arrested an individual following operational-search and investigative activities into the large-scale breach of customs border regulations.

The investigation established that a Georgian citizen attempted to covertly transport 1,851 grams of gold jewellery into the country via the Sarpi customs border crossing. The contraband was concealed inside purpose-built secret compartments within the cabin of a vehicle under the suspect’s control. The seized jewellery carries an estimated customs value of GEL 411,962.

According to the Investigation Service of the Ministry of Finance, an investigation has been launched under Article 214, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, concerning the illegal movement of particularly large quantities of goods across the customs border. The offence carries a potential prison sentence of 5 to 7 years.