The Estonian Tax and Customs Board (MTA) is asking all border crossers to ensure they are not carrying prohibited goods and to allocate more time for crossing the border.

"Implementing sanctions is the number one priority in the customs field, and the transportation of any goods used for warfare to the Russian Federation is under particularly strict scrutiny," said Voldemar Linno, head of the MTA's customs control department.

Replacing the current risk-based control with full customs checks is time-consuming and may reduce the border's throughput capacity towards Russia by half, according to the MTA. Therefore, the MTA advises border crossers to allow for extra time.

For pedestrians, full customs control means checking each individual and their accompanying luggage. For those crossing by car, this includes vehicle and cargo inspections.

Passengers traveling by bus are also required to disembark with their luggage and undergo customs checks similar to those for pedestrians.

Goods inspections involve verifying the accuracy of truck bookings, opening cargo doors and inspecting the contents.

"We urge all individuals heading to the Russian Federation to ensure that the goods they carry are not subject to sanctions and to allocate at least twice as much time for border crossing. We have also informed our customs cooperation partners about this change," Linno added.

"Estonian customs control, which previously used a risk-based method, is already known among carriers as one of the strictest. However, with the addition of new sanction packages, attempts to evade sanctions are becoming more frequent. Last year, customs detected over 5,000 violations, and for instance, at the Narva customs checkpoint, we send back at least one person per hour with a warning for sanction violations," Linno said.

"Deliberate violation of sanctions is a crime, and criminal proceedings for these offenses are conducted by the Internal Security Service (ISS)," Linno added.

The implementation of full customs control on outbound traffic is a result of the government's decision on July 4, driven by the increasing number of attempts to evade sanctions and the risk assessment by the Tax and Customs Board.

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