"Rice imports posing a threat to consumers have been banned in Russia since last December," following instructions by the Russia's agriculture watchdog and the Federal Customs Service, Yury Rozhkovsky said, adding that it was the first instance of rice smuggling from China.
Restrictions on all rice suppliers followed violations in sanitary requirements, when traces of pesticides, heavy metals and dangerous chemicals were found in rice.
Rozhkovsky said the smugglers had packed the rice in three packs and covered the 20-container cargo under bags of buckwheat. The accompanying documentation stated peanuts, buckwheat, beer, chip boards and tiles.
The customs spokesman said over half of all the containers, which arrived last Friday, had so far been checked. According to preliminary estimates the rice could be worth over 250,000 rubles ($9,800).
