Russian court sentences foreigner who tried to smuggle gold and silver in shoes

In Blagoveshchensk, a Chinese citizen was sentenced to three years in prison for trying to illegally export precious metals worth more than 2.5 million rubles from Russia. The man hid gold and silver under the insoles of shoes, but the cache was found by customs officers. This was reported in the Annunciation City Court.

According to the court, in April 2026, a man named Zhao came to Blagoveshchensk specifically to buy jewelry scrap. Acting on a preliminary conspiracy with two accomplices, he purchased on Pushkin Street two convolutions with a metal alloy with a total weight of 369 grams. For the purchase, the foreigner paid 1.5 million rubles.

The scrap contained about 216 grams of gold and 17.6 grams of silver. In order to smuggle jewelry to China, the man laid out the packages under the insoles of sneakers. However, while crossing the border, customs officers found a cache. The passenger did not issue a declaration of transported valuables.

When sentencing, the court took into account a partial confession of guilt, assistance to the investigation, the presence of a minor child and dependent parents, as well as a donation to the children's social center. Despite mitigating circumstances, Zhao was sentenced to three years in prison in a general regime colony. The precious metals seized were confiscated to the state.

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A woman tried to smuggle 3 kg of gold into China through insoles.

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