Over the course of the year, customs officers have identified various sanctions-related violations. In international trade, the ETCB still encounters cases of submitting false information and manipulating commodity codes. The ETCB has prevented the departure of 192 cargo shipments across the eastern border.
Among private individuals crossing the border, the most common cases have involved attempts to transfer European Union banknotes. There have also been incidents where people tried to transport across the border goods either of dual use or that can be used in warfare, both indirectly and directly — such as drone components, firearm parts and accessories, bullets, spare parts for vehicles and machinery, radio receivers, underwater cameras and diving equipment, and much more.
Over the course of the year, more than 585,000 border crossings were recorded at the Narva, Luhamaa, and Koidula customs checkpoints, of which violations were detected in over 4,300 cases. Compared to the year before last, the number of detected violations has decreased by nearly one thousand.
Voldemar Linno, Head of the Customs Control Department at the ETCB, acknowledges that full customs control has nevertheless proven to be an effective deterrent measure. “Since border crossers are aware that all items they carry will undergo thorough inspection, this serves as an effective deterrent. People are getting used to the sanctions and are more familiar with the goods subject to them. The effects of the sanctions are also reflected in foreign trade statistics, where the export of certain product groups to Russia has significantly decreased or ceased altogether.”
Linno adds that new sanctions are prompting increasingly thorough customs inspections. “As the list of sanctioned goods expands, we have to keep up with the times – constantly explaining, instructing, and learning ourselves. Since the implementation of full customs control, four new European Union sanctions packages have been added. Our work therefore requires us to be both good theorists and practical operators, because every inspection is part of a broader effort to protect national security and ensure that strategically important goods do not cross the border into Russia.”
At the same time, Linno notes that despite strict and thorough control, there are still individuals and businesses seeking ways to move sanctioned goods across the border. “Private individuals use various hiding places – prohibited items are concealed in vehicles, suitcases, between clothing layers, in underwear, and elsewhere. Businesses often try to hide exported goods by submitting customs declarations with false information, concealing the actual commodity code, or listing Russia only as a transit country, even though the final destination is very likely Russia. There is zero tolerance for attempts to export sanctioned goods, and repeated violations or those exceeding a value of €10,000 can also lead to criminal proceedings,” Linno emphasizes.
In addition to the full customs control introduced last year, as of 27 April 2025, the Estonian Tax and Customs Board ETCB has the authority to handle sanctions violations under both administrative and criminal procedures. During this period, the ETCB has initiated 413 administrative proceedings and imposed fines totaling over €93,000. Most violations have been related to attempts to transport European Union banknotes, smart devices, and various consumer goods across the border. Since 27 April, the export of EU banknotes has been prevented, totaling €376,000.
Since 27 April, 19 criminal proceedings have been initiated for violations of sanctions. Five of these have been forwarded to the prosecutor’s office, one was closed on opportunistic grounds, and in one case the court approved a plea agreement. During the initiated criminal proceedings, the import or export of sanctioned goods with a total value of €4.5 million has been prevented.
In the case closed on opportunistic grounds, an individual attempted to transport €15,000 across the border by hiding the cash in a pocket sewn into their underwear. In the criminal case concluded through a plea agreement, the case involved a person attempting to smuggle cigarettes across the border. Since the individual had previously been convicted of an administrative offense, the court sentenced them to three months in prison with a one-year probation period.
