Moskovskiy Komsomoletc reports that Moscow jewellery market is full of fake articles, illegally produced and transported. The police are investigating many cases, they have recently confiscated about 6500 jewellery items and 500 gemstones over $5 mln worth from six Moscow shops. A large part of the values has come to Russian capital illegally, in particular, from Turkey. Moreover, the investigation showed that the criminal group had existed in Moscow for over ten years.

Experts state that 50% of golden jewellery sold in Russia have been smuggled. Russian gold market’s annual income is estimated at about $1 bln. However, the country looses $500 mln of taxes in the field of illegal gold turnover. Many illegal gold sellers have been already tried and have spent several years in prisons. Many of them have business partners in Turkey, and even cooperate with Turkish police.

The problem lays not only in the sphere of illegal gold production but in the field of illegal jewellery assaying. Now there is a way of fighting illegal assaying as the State has begun using laser technologies in it. However, consumer confidence in Russia is very low and criminals still manage to swindle jewellery buyers.