Ukrainian Police Seizes Nearly 7 Tons of Amber Worth About $30 Million

The police have opened around 300 criminal proceedings for illegal amber extraction and seized nearly 7 tons of amber valued at about $30 million. This was announced by the head of the National Police, Serhiy Knyazev, as reported by pravda.com.ua.

“Based on the facts of illegal amber extraction, the police have initiated almost 300 proceedings, with more than 260 individuals being held criminally liable, and nearly 7 tons of stone have been confiscated,” Knyazev stated, although he did not disclose the timeframe in which these results were achieved.

The head of the National Police added that the market value of 7 tons of amber starts from $30 million.

In turn, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov expressed the opinion that the issue of illegal amber extraction requires legislative regulation. According to him, this would allow for clear conditions to establish the legality of the amber business, regulate and simplify the licensing procedures, as well as tighten criminal liability for illegal mining.