Contraband cargo: thousands of ants in flasks set off from Kyiv to Wroclaw

At the Lviv-Poshtovy checkpoint, customs officers discovered an unusual international shipment: an illegal attempt to transport 2,580 live ants from Kyiv to Wroclaw.

The State Customs Service reported this.

A large number of insects were detected thanks to the RAPISCAN X-ray system. Each ant was in a separate glass flask, all hidden in a black metal box declared as a “remote control”.

Transporting living organisms without a permit across the customs border is prohibited, and concealing goods makes it difficult to detect them. In this case, the rules of international express shipments were violated, and methods of disguising the cargo were used.

Upon detection, a protocol was drawn up on violating customs rules under Articles 473 and 483 of the Customs Code of Ukraine.

Experts note that ants are not ordinary insects for collection. In some countries, particularly in Poland, there is a popular market for ants to keep at home in special formicaria. Such living “home farms” are becoming a fashionable hobby, where owners observe the life of colonies, study their behavior, and build mini-ecosystems. The price of exotic or rare species can reach several hundred euros per colony.

Also, at the “Krakivets” checkpoint, border guards detained a minibus in which they were trying to transport undeclared equipment worth over 1.2 million hryvnias. Hundreds of Apple gadgets, speakers, cameras, and other electronics were found in the trunk.

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