The holder of a diplomatic passport was caught in an FSB sting operation, allegedly taking a bribe for forging import papers
A Polish citizen holding a diplomatic passport has allegedly been involved with an alcohol-smuggling scheme in Moscow. The Russian domestic security agency FSB has accused her of taking a bribe in exchange for forging paperwork that would have allowed spirits to be imported tariff-free.
Malgorzata Ewa Boksznajder, an employee of the International Bank for Economic Co-operation (IBEC), has been caught in a sting operation that formed part of an investigation into a smuggling operation, the FSB said in a press statement on Wednesday.
It released footage that appeared to show the Polish national taking a package –which contained banknotes marked with invisible ink– from another person. The woman could be heard joking that the two had “acted like spies” during the exchange. She was then detained by FSB agents and exposed as an accomplice in the criminal scheme, the agency reported.
According to Russian law enforcement, Boksznajder intended to use her position as the head of the marketing section in IBEC’s Department of Strategic Planning and Analysis to issue falsified importation paperwork for Russian customs. The documents would falsely identify the products as meant for a foreign diplomatic mission and thus not subject to import tariffs, prosecutors allege.
IBEC is a Moscow-based financial institution established to facilitate trade between participating states. The list of members includes Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia and Vietnam.
The FSB stated that it busted the smuggling operation in October and seized over 40 tons of illegally-imported alcohol worth more than $2 million as it unraveled the scheme. Three Russian nationals living in Moscow were reportedly also charged with crimes related to it. The agency didn’t say whether it had any evidence of wrongdoing by Boksznajder before the sting operation.
The Polish national was caught while receiving what was supposed to be a bribe of €20,000 ($20,790), the FSB claimed. Since she enjoys diplomatic status, she cannot be prosecuted by Russian law for her alleged role. Instead, the Russian Foreign Ministry declared her persona non grata and ordered to leave Russia within a week, authorities have reported.
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