Russian customs authorities have announced the interception of an illegal shipment of cultural property from Georgia. At the Verkhny Lars checkpoint, a vehicle was stopped while attempting to transport a large collection of 19th–20th-century bladed weapons.
The Federal Customs Service of Russia (FTS) stated that a 40-year-old Russian citizen was driving the SUV. During a search of the vehicle, 47 bladed weapons were discovered hidden in bags and packages among personal belongings, including bayonets, daggers, sabers, cleavers, swords, knives, a rapier, and a ritual knife.
“The items were manufactured primarily in the North Caucasus, Transcaucasian countries, Europe, Central and North Africa, as well as India and Japan. The collection is valued at 2 million rubles,” the statement read.
The man claimed he had acquired the items for a personal collection. However, he lacked the necessary permits for transporting cultural property across the customs border.
The Russian agency stated that an expert evaluation confirmed the seized items are classified as cultural property.
“A criminal case has been initiated under Part 1 of Article 226.1 of the UK RF (Ugolovnyy Kodeks Rossiyskoy Federatsii — Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), concerning the illegal movement of cultural property across the customs border on a large scale. The article carries a penalty of up to five years in prison or a fine of one million rubles. The investigation is ongoing,” the statement concluded.
