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Belgium blocked roughly €50 bln worth of Russian assets in 2022, says paper

Apart from Russia, the Belgian customs authorities particularly focus on supplies to Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan

BRUSSELS, January 16. /TASS/. Around €50 bln worth of funds were blocked in Belgium in 2022 as part of the anti-Russia sanctions crusade, the L'Echo newspaper wrote on Monday, adding that Belgian officials were conducting investigations of around 30 cases of alleged trade sanctions evasion against Moscow.

Around 30 customs inspections are being conducted by the EU member’s authorities on alleged suspicious export and import container supplies through Belgian ports which may have potentially breached the EU’s trade sanctions regulations, the publication disclosed.

In particular, these include components, electronic components, steel and chemical products, which may be used in military production, luxury goods, medical equipment and farming products. Moreover, the customs authorities are investigating a number of cases involving shipments of steel, gold and petroleum products from Russia.

Some 27,000 containers heading to Russia were blocked in Belgium last year for a thorough, meticulous examination, the paper said, noting that up to 500 containers remain blocked.

Apart from Russia, the Belgian customs authorities particularly focus on supplies to Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, which the newspaper said are most frequently used for sidestepping the EU’s anti-Russia sanctions.