‘Priceless’: Finland seizes art worth $46 million headed to Russia

Customs officials in Finland have seized tens of millions of dollars worth of art that was headed to Russia in contravention of Western sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.

According to Tulli, the Finnish customs agency, three shipments of art – namely, paintings and sculptures – headed for Russia were seized over the weekend at Vaalimaa, situated on the Finland-Russia border.

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The shipments flouted sanctions imposed on Moscow by the European Union (EU), which prohibit the sale and transfer of artworks to Russia.

“It is important that the enforcement of sanctions works effectively. The enforcement of sanctions is part of our normal operations and we always direct our controls based on risks. The shipments that have now come under criminal investigation were detected as part of our customary enforcement work,” Sami Rakshit, the Director of Finnish Customs’ Enforcement Department, said in a statement.

The estimated value of the three seized shipments was declared to be $46 million, though Finnish customs official Hannu Sinkkonen told the press that the shipments “include works which cannot be valued, they are priceless.”

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The preliminary investigation into the seizure of shipments revealed that the paintings and sculptures were being transported to Russia from Italy and Japan, and that the works in question had also been displayed at various galleries and museums prior to being shipped.

Commenting on what lies in store for the seized works of art, Sinkkonen said that the shipments were being stored in a warehouse for the time being, adding, “Professionals have been consulted in the moving and storage of the goods. We are not going to open the packages.”