Doing Business in Russia. Котова К.П - 43 стр.

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tained only after a long search by the personnel of the department on economic
crimes.
      MN: The sphere of export-import operation has continued being one of
the most crime-intensive. Apparently, the liberalization of foreign economic ac-
tivities has also led to a “liberalization” of economic crimes.
      V.A.: This has happened because of the abolition of quotation and licens-
ing, the absence of due control in conditions where there is a disbalance of do-
mestic and world prices and, of course, the inadequate protection of borders –
both state and custom borders. The main kinds of crimes in this sphere are con-
traband, graft and thefts. The lion’s share of crimes falls on the custom clear-
ance of foreign cars. In six months for 12 regions of Russia 45 criminal cases
were instituted in connection with bride-taking in custom bodies.
      MN: The forgery of banknotes has always been one of the most wide-
spread types of crimes. Has anything changed in this sphere?
      A.G.: Over 5,000 crimes were registered during the first half-year – 70
percent of last year’s figure. But the volume of counterfeit dollars and other
currencies deleted from turnover has already exceeded the indicators for the
whole of last year. Particularly worrying is the increase in circulation of the
quantity of the so-called superdollars. To see through a false banknote, there is
a need to carry out a special costly analysis. The usual equipment available at
each bank is not good for this purpose. Therefore every tenth 100-dollar bank-
note in circulation on Russia’s territory today is a counterfeit.
      MN: Are the counterfeits mostly “domestically made” or imported from
abroad?
      A.G.: False money comes from Chechnya, from Ukraine, from Poland
and countries in the Middle East. Recently the agents of the Moscow Director-
ate on Economic Crimes detained a citizen of India for the sale of 40 counterfeit
100-dollar banknotes. Subsequent undertakings are carried out in conjunction
with the Indian police and the US secret service. In early summer the workers