An illegal parcel network is allegedly being used to circumvent international sanctions and send goods to Russia through Poland, according to an investigative report by German tabloid Bild.
The report, published by the outlet on Sunday following a months-long investigation, said that the suspected network was established by former employees of a German subsidiary of Russia’s state postal service.
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Bild reported that investigations by Berlin’s public prosecutor’s office into the German branch first revealed the existence of a “shadow post” aimed at sending prohibited goods such as electronic devices, cash and jewelry from Germany to Moscow, adding that authorities plan to charge a manager at the firm in connection with the case.
The EU placed sanctions on a variety of goods being sent to Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine in an effort to put pressure on Moscow’s economy.
False parcels
Bild’s own investigation alleges that a Cologne-based logistics company founded in 2022 has taken over the illicit operation. The outlet said that the company – whose listed headquarters consists of only a mailbox – operates a warehouse just one kilometer from Berlin’s main airport.
“From there, 40-ton trucks, fully loaded with mail parcels, regularly depart for Moscow,” Bild’s report said.
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As part of its investigation, the outlet said it tested the process by sending five parcels with hidden GPS tracking devices via Russian supermarkets which offered the services of the logistics company.
The parcels were shipped under a false name and were listed by Bild as containing books, scarves and hats. In reality, the outlet reported the packages held sanctioned electronic components, which Bild said had been first rendered unusable.
The outlet added that staff refused to issue a receipt for the delivery and used shipping labels from Uzbekistan’s national postal service, which Bild, citing anonymous sources, said has a secret agreement with its Russian counterpart despite not being authorized to operate in Germany.
The Uzbek connection
Bild reported that a representative of the logistics company told the outlet that it was working with Uzbekistan’s postal carrier, arguing that it was doing so legally.
The news site added that Germany’s Federal Network Agency, which oversees postal services in the country, told Bild that it was reviewing the case.
The hidden tracking devices revealed that the parcels sent by Bild arrived at the company’s warehouse near Berlin’s airport after one to two days, from where they were transported through Poland to Belarus and then to Moscow, allegedly evading EU sanctions.
The company reportedly told Bild that its control mechanisms are designed to make violations of EU sanctions “practically impossible”, but that they are not immune to “fraudulent misdeclarations.”