Minsk Officials Arrested in Major Sand Mining Corruption Scandal

Minsk Officials Arrested in Sand Mining Corruption Scheme A major corruption scandal has rocked Minsk, Belarus, as officials were apprehended for accepting bribes related to the illegal extraction of sand from agricultural land. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) released a video detailing the scheme, which involved a state structure official and an agronomist from a local enterprise. The officials allegedly received bribes, including cash and fuel for personal vehicles, in exchange for ignoring the illegal sand mining operations conducted by a construction company. "The illegal sand extraction was extensive," stated an MVD official in the video. "The bribes received amounted to approximately 50 rubles per load of illegally mined sand." The scale of the operation caused significant environmental damage and resulted in tens of thousands of rubles in losses for the state. Authorities have detained the officials involved, including the director of the company responsible for the illegal sand removal. Their assets have been seized. This case highlights the ongoing efforts to combat corruption within Belarusian governmental structures and protect the environment.