Customs officers intercept shipment of 130 kilos of amber

On Monday customs officers seized over 130 kilograms of minerals, most probably amber, that a Ukrainian driver and a Hungarian co-passenger sought to smuggle into Slovakia through the Vyšné Nemecké border crossing, in the Kosice region. As the spokesperson for the Customs Office in Michalovce Klára Baloghová stated neither of the two men declared any items for imports. However, a sniffer dog detected as suspicious the right-hand side of the luggage area and the car's floor. The car was then subjected to a thorough inspection, whereupon 22 packs of what is probably the fossilised tree resin known as amber were found. As the two men failed to declare the items and were unable to present documents proving the origin and value of the items, the minerals were seized. Baloghová added that while it is legal to import amber to the European Union, the items need to be declared.