Journalists of the Belarusian Investigative Center told how sanctioned Belarusian wood continues to be supplied to the EU countries through Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.
Wood and products from Belarus are prohibited from exporting to the EU countries from the spring of 2022. Investigators found that for some entrepreneurs, the sanctions opened up new financial horizons.
According to journalists, the Polish company PLRBL, which on paper is engaged in construction and recruitment from Eastern Europe, ended 2020 with a loss of $77.5 thousand.
“However, after a couple of months, after the Belarusian tree fell into disgrace, in August 2022, she signed an agreement with the Kyrgyz company Admit for the supply of wood pellets (fuel pellets). For almost a year and a half, until December 2023, Admit must supply PLRBL fuel for 1.5 million euros. And everything would be fine, only wood for the production of pellets is purchased in Belarus. And then sold in the EU. One of the leaders of the PLRBL, Belarusian Vitaly Leshik, does not even hide this,” the journalists say.
The investigative center reported that they had found evidence that PLRBL was operating under gray schemes. For example, they found international waybills for all the same pellets from the Kyrgyz Admit. The documents indicate that a truck with more than 22 tons of wood pellets was allegedly loaded on October 14, 2022 in Bishkek. A week later, on October 22, Belarusian customs made a note that the cargo had crossed the Belarusian border.
“According to the documents, the Minsk transport company Euro-2006 delivered the cargo to Belarus. In Lithuania, the Lithuanian transport company Versatio transported wood pellets to the Vivalsa warehouse in Vievis. This delivery was mediated by PLRBL,” the investigators note.
At the same time, the declaration for goods was signed by representatives of the Kyrgyz customs, and the certificate of origin of the goods was issued by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Osh.
The executive director of PLRBL told reporters that they have companies not only in Poland and Latvia, but also in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. They buy wood in Belarus. From there it goes to Kyrgyzstan or Kazakhstan, where it is processed into pellets. Documents are also drawn up there, according to which it turns out that the raw materials were Kyrgyz or Kazakh.
According to investigators, the Kyrgyz company supplying fuel pellets “Admit” is owned by Belarusians Pytko Denis Vasilievich and Miruk Vladimir Igorevich. In addition, the company itself has already appeared in the investigation of journalists.
“Admit also supplied timber to Lithuania from Kyrgyzstan. However, our Kyrgyz colleagues from Present Time. Asia”, following the results of that investigation, went to “Admit”, at the registration address. And there was no production of pellets there,” they said.
The Kloop journalists also checked, but even then the production of the ghost company could not be found.
According to journalists of the Belarusian Investigative Center, Belarusian manufacturing giants, such as the Pinskdrev holding, are also trying to circumvent the sanctions on the supply of timber.
“10 out of 10 surveyed Polish and Lithuanian companies told us by phone that after the ban on wood from Belarus, plywood and pellets, they began to import from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. The sudden export opportunities of the latter attracted the attention of not only private Belarusian businessmen, but also the management of Pinskdrev,” the investigation says.
According to journalists, a month before the entry into force of sanctions against Belarusian timber, on May 6, 2022, a new company, Manufactura Plus, appeared in Karaganda at the address of the Pinskdrev trade office in Kazakhstan. The founders of the company also include the trading house “Furniture KZ”. And its sole owner is Pinskdrev Holding Company.
The journalists found out that Manufactura Plus is the official dealer of the Semipalatinsk Woodworking Plant No. 1. And this is the only manufacturer of large format plywood in Kazakhstan.
“We called Manufaktura Plus and clarified whose products the Belarusian representative is promoting in Kazakhstan. There they answered – “Semipalatinsk woodworking plant No. 1”. If we imagine that Pinskdrev is not involved in this scheme, then it turns out that Polish and Lithuanian firms are transporting wood products from countries where it simply cannot be in large volumes, ”the investigators concluded.
The journalists prepared their investigation in partnership with Siena, Reporterow Foundation, Re: Baltica, Klopp, Power with the assistance Cyber guerrilla and OCCRP.