Azerbaijani national detained over jewelry smuggling in Russia

Russian authorities have detained a 33-year-old Azerbaijani woman at Vnukovo Airport for attempting to smuggle undeclared jewelry valued at 18.5 million rubles ($222,000), the Federal Customs Service (FCS) reported.

According to the FCS, the woman arrived from Dubai and was stopped during a random inspection in the airport’s “green corridor.” Officials discovered five rings made of white metal with stone inlays in her luggage, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

“An examination determined that the items were made of gold and platinum alloys of 750 and 950 fineness, respectively, with diamond inlays. The goods have been confiscated,” the FCS statement said.

The incident has prompted the opening of a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 226.1 of the Russian Criminal Code, which covers the smuggling of strategically important goods. Conviction under this provision carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison or a fine of up to 1 million rubles ($12,000).

The FCS emphasized that the seizure reflects ongoing efforts to combat smuggling of high-value and strategically significant items at Russian airports.

The case remains under investigation.

By Vafa Guliyeva