Border Incident: Over 500 Kilograms of Explosives Seized in Belarus
A 41-year-old man has been detained in Belarus after attempting to smuggle over 580 kilograms of high-powered explosives across the Polish-White Russian border, with the intention of delivering them to Russia. Preliminary reports indicate the explosives originated from the United States.
The suspect, traveling in a Mercedes transporter, was on his way to the Brest border crossing when a risk analysis system selected the vehicle for an additional control check, leading to a scan in a control and screening complex. A subsequent investigation by the customs laboratory confirmed the substance found was pentaerythrittrinitrate, a highly explosive material.
According to a video provided by the customs service, the explosives were hidden under vibration-dampening plates and Span plates on the vehicle’s floor and walls. To prevent detection by service dogs, the car’s interior surfaces had been treated with technical grease. With the assistance of experts, the sticky substance was extracted.
The driver has been taken into custody and an investigation has been launched, with the suspect facing up to 10 years in prison if convicted.