Vodka pipeline drinks up tax revenues

16 September, 2008, 16:53

The ingenuity of some smugglers knows no bounds. In Estonia, 11 people have been arrested and charged with pumping vodka from Russia into the Baltic state – through an underwater pipeline.

Prosecutors say they’ve uncovered an extraordinary crime. The accused include both Estonian and Russian citizens who were apparently on to a nice little earner. Since Estonia joined the EU, the price of vodka has risen by almost 30 per cent.

From August to November 2004, it's claimed the gang pumped at least 6.2 thousand litres of vodka from Russia to the Baltics through a 2km long homemade pipe.

The ‘enterprise’ was uncovered after a truck with a thousand litres of illegal vodka was found in Tallinn.

According to police, the smugglers tried to sell the booze in the Estonian capital. But the low quality of the drink made it difficult to find a buyer. Finally they resorted to selling it in Estonia’s second largest city, Tartu.