NOVOSIBIRSK, October 24 - RAPSI. The volume of currency illegally exported from Siberia in the first nine months of 2012 has totaled (in the ruble equivalent) 1.664 billion rubles ($53.04 million) against 10.701 billion rubles ($341.12 million) exported during the same months of 2011, the Siberian Operational Customs told RIA Novosti on Wednesday.

"Some 23 criminal cases (58 cases in the first nine months of 2011), which made up 15 percent of all crimes uncovered by the customs service from the beginning of the year, were connected with the failure to return foreign currency funds from abroad, or the so-called "outflow of capital."

"The amount of non-returned funds transferred by Siberian entrepreneurs via sham contracts to Cyprus, British Virgin Islands, Hong Kong and other offshore areas exceeded 1.664 billion rubles ($53.04 million)," the customs service's message reads.

The total number of cases of non-compliance with currency legislation went down to 821 from 1,023 cases in January-September 2011.

From the beginning of the year, 27 criminal cases, or almost every fifth case, were initiated for customs evasion. The total amount of funds which never reached the budget exceeded 108 million rubles ($3.44 million); in January-September 2011, the amount of non-payments in just one case was 15.6 million rubles ($497,300). Measures to recover customs payments were undertaken in each case.