Despite the sanctions, expensive cars are still making their way into Russia through Georgia. A recent investigation by British TV channel Sky News revealed a “complicated but sophisticated scheme” being used to import cars banned by British and EU sanctions into Russia through Georgia.
The investigation found that a group of people are responsible for transporting these cars from showrooms in Tbilisi or ports in Poti or Batumi to the Russian border, specifically the Lars checkpoint. The cars are then left at the border for a few days while the necessary documentation is prepared.
However, there are some challenges with the documentation process. After European countries imposed sanctions on Russia, Georgia also implemented its own bans on sending cars to Russia. But there are still ways to transport the cars across the border. One method is to register and clear the vehicles in Armenia, where they are given transit registration numbers. From there, they are taken to the Lars checkpoint. Since Georgian citizens can enter Russia without a visa (and vice versa), it becomes easy to take the cars across the border.
The report highlights that this method allows the person transporting the car to Russia to avoid being accused of any specific crime, even though the entire scheme is a way to bypass sanctions. Additionally, these cars do not appear in customs data when they are transported to Russia in this manner.
The investigation revealed that luxury models of BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, Range Rover, Porsche, and Lamborghini are among the cars being brought into Russia through this scheme. Despite the sanctions, these expensive cars are still finding their way into the country through Georgia.
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