In the first half of 2026, Russian customs authorities intercepted… (валюта · вывезти · сумма)
In the first half of 2026, Russian customs authorities intercepted 6,035 attempts by citizens to illegally export cash totaling over 955 million rubles, primarily foreign currency such as dollars and euros, with Turkey, UAE, Azerbaijan, and China being common destinations. Authorities also initiated 62 criminal cases and 5,973 administrative violations related to undeclared or falsely declared funds.
Consensus
- In the first half of 2026, Russian customs authorities intercepted attempts by citizens to illegally export cash.
- The total amount involved in these illegal exports was over 955 million rubles.
- The most commonly attempted currencies were dollars and euros.
- Common destinations for the illicitly exported funds included Turkey, UAE, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, China, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Serbia, Thailand, and Estonia.
- A total of 62 criminal cases were initiated under Article 200.1 of the Russian Criminal Code (smuggling of cash).
- 5,973 administrative violations were filed for undeclared or falsely declared money.
- The majority of administrative cases (5,157) concerned illegal export of foreign currency exceeding the 10,000 USD equivalent limit introduced in March 2022.
- A ban on exporting foreign cash exceeding 10,000 USD equivalent has been in effect since March 2022.
- For imports exceeding 100,000 USD, documentation of the source of funds is required.
Points of divergence
- 40 out of 62 criminal cases were related to illegal import rather than export. — fontanka
- In 2025, customs authorities seized over 2 billion rubles worth of contraband currency, primarily exported to Turkey, UAE, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. — kommersant
Coverage (2 sources)
- FTS: Nearly a billion in cash attempted to be smuggled out of Russia in six months — Фонтанка
- In six months, nearly a billion rubles were allegedly illegally exported from Russia — Коммерсантъ