MOSCOW, December 2 (RAPSI) – Rosselkhoznadzor, the Russian agricultural watchdog, has reported new attempts to import prohibited fruit and vegetables via Belarus to Russia and on to other countries, Interfax reports on Tuesday.

Over 50 such cases have been registered, with the seized products weighing in total more than 1,000 metric tons, the regulator said.

On November 24, Rosselkhoznadzor introduced a procedure stipulating that the sanctioned products from Belarus enter Russia for transit to other countries, including Kazakhstan, a Customs Union partner of Russia and Belarus, only through Russian checkpoints.

This measure aims to block deliveries of products from the countries against which Russia adopted an embargo last August. The agricultural regulator has reported cases when such products delivered to Russia from Belarus, allegedly for transit to other countries, were ultimately marketed in Russia.

Rosselkhoznadzor also registered instances in which prohibited European products were delivered with false safety certificates of the country of origin, as well as products without any certificates or identification.

On August 7, the Russian government introduced a ban on a number of products from countries, who earlier had imposed sanctions on Russia. Blacklisted food imports include meat, fish, dairy, fruit and vegetables from Australia, Canada, Norway, the European Union and the United States.