Belarus, Poland: 1 $ for carrying a plastic bag of apples across the border

Apples are relatively expensive for Belarussian people, since the county doesn’t have almost any traditions in fruit growing. Since apples in neighbouring Poland are much cheaper in retail, small scale contraband can be seen lately across border region of two countries. But this kind of „trade” is not considered illegal according to Polish customs officers, and their colleagues from Belarus don’t see any problem either. People from Belarus buy apples at Polish markets and carry products in plastic bags across the border, sometimes several times a day.

On the other side of the border, middlemen from Belarus are waiting. For carrying one plastic bag (same as used in supermarkets) filled with apples they pay 1 $ plus a price paid for apples in Poland. Smugglers come back to Poland with bags filled with 1 liter of alcohol and 1 carton of cigarettes (these products are much cheaper in Belarus than in Poland), which equals to legal duty free quantity. Most of the “smugglers” are older, retired people from Belarus, whose pensions are very low. Though one person can carry only several kilograms of apples at one time, significant amounts of Polish apples enter Belarus in this way. Same practice can be seen with Polish meat products, and the only difference is the price middlemen pay for carrying products across the border – 2 $ per bag.
Source:freshplaza.com