A Kazan resident was presented with smuggled diabetes medication upon returning from Turkey.

      Ossetian customs officers did not believe that a tourist was bringing in a supply of metformin for personal use

      Photo: Real Time

      A Kazan resident suffering from diabetes became an involuntary smuggler: he brought a year's supply of medication for himself and his mother from Turkey to Russia. Despite the fact that customs officers at the Upper Lars checkpoint committed a number of significant violations during the customs inspection and the documentation of the offense, and the Supreme Court of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania confirmed this, the case against him has been dragging on for nine months. "The detective" about the allegedly illegal import of medications and the opinions of lawyers on the real problems facing citizens who engage in "import substitution" in the field of medical supplies for themselves — in the material of "Real Time."

      "I presented them myself"

      Kazan resident Vitaly Alexandrov contacted "Real Time" to share how he became an "involuntary smuggler." In October 2025, he and his wife were returning by car from a trip to Turkey through Georgia. According to him, they were carrying a year's supply of medications purchased abroad for Alexandrov and his mother, which are used in the treatment of diabetes and its complications. They also brought medications that his wife takes after her cancer surgery. During the inspection at Upper Lars, two violation reports were drawn up against him.

      — We bought the medications in Turkey for ourselves. I did not hide them at customs; I presented them myself, explaining that my mother and I have diabetes, my wife is post-surgery, and the medications are intended for personal use, — he said. — I did not declare the medications because, according to the law, this is not necessary if they do not contain narcotic or psychotropic substances. The Georgian customs officers had no questions about this, but our Russian officers drew up a smuggling report against me. My wife and I were in the car together, the medications were shared, but only I was accused, possibly because if you divide this amount of medication between two people, the volumes would not seem so impressive. During the inspection at Upper Lars, two violation reports were drawn up against Vitaly Alexandrov.

      Screenshot from Yandex Maps

      In total, as indicated in the customs inspection report, the Alexandrov family was carrying 79 packages of medications of 19 different types, weighing a total of 7.7 kg (each type — from 1 to 5 packages, except for 32 packages of a blood sugar-lowering medication, which is taken daily in significant quantities for diabetes).

      The couple's car was checked using an inspection and detection complex (IDC). Moreover, the voluntarily presented medications, according to Alexandrov, were ordered to be put back in the cabin for some reason before the IDC inspection. The entire procedure, which began around 1:00 PM, only concluded by 10:00 PM. The man, suffering from diabetes, recounted that he nearly lost consciousness from hunger during this time, and he poorly understood the contents of the documents he was ultimately asked to sign, but under pressure and out of fear of being detained until morning, he signed the papers:

      — I thought I was signing something similar to the inspector's report, — merely confirming that I was familiar with the contents of the document. But then it turned out: according to the meaning of the report, I confirmed my agreement with all the violations they attributed to me.

      Customs officers, as became known during the internal investigation, committed a violation during the inspection: the mandatory video recording, according to the instructions, during customs control on the day the Alexandrov couple crossed the border at Upper Lars, was not conducted in several cases. This was confirmed by the Vladikavkaz Transport Prosecutor's Office, which conducted an investigation based on the complaint of the Kazan resident.

      "The presented evidence was not evaluated"

      Customs officers found Vitaly Alexandrov guilty of failing to declare imported goods (part 1 of article 16.2 of the Administrative Offenses Code of the Russian Federation) and violating the prohibitions and restrictions on the import of goods established by international treaties of the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union, decisions of the Eurasian Economic Commission, and regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation (article 16.3 of the Administrative Offenses Code of the Russian Federation). He unsuccessfully attempted to appeal the last ruling in the Soviet District Court of Vladikavkaz, and after failing, he turned to the Supreme Court of the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania, where the lower court's decision was overturned.

      The court noted that the obligation to declare medications imported for personal use does not arise automatically, and conclusions that the quantity is too large for personal use cannot be made by mere observation. "The established legal requirements were not met by the district court judge when considering this administrative offense case. A legally significant circumstance in this case is the determination of the nature of the goods seized by the customs authority — medications, namely: whether they are potent or prohibited in the Russian Federation and for what purposes they were imported," — stated the higher judicial authority, noting that Alexandrov presented evidence to the court of the presence of diseases in himself and his wife and recommendations for taking the medications.

      — In making a conclusion about the proven circumstances on the basis of which a ruling was issued against Alexandrov, the presented evidence was not evaluated <…>. Indicating that such a quantity of medications requires customs declaration, neither the customs authority nor the judge specified the basis for such a conclusion <…>. The district court judge did not evaluate the fact that the customs authority did not conduct the appropriate examination to determine whether there are potent medications among the transported medications and whether they are included in the state register of medications, — noted the court.

      "In making a conclusion about the proven circumstances on the basis of which a ruling was issued against Alexandrov, the presented evidence was not evaluated."

      Screenshot from Yandex Maps

      The higher court also indicated that documents and items not seized from circulation should be returned to the lawful owner, while the fate of the medications seized from Alexandrov was not determined by either the customs officers or the lower court.

      The decision of the Soviet District Court of Vladikavkaz was overturned, and the case was sent for reconsideration to a court, which in June 2026 again deemed the imposition of responsibility on Alexandrov for smuggling justified. The court concluded that the medication "Galvus Met" (metformin), which, according to the expert conclusion, is not included in the State Register of Medications, was imported in quantities exceeding Alexandrov's personal needs and those of his family, and therefore was intended for commercial sale, and also did not have inscriptions in Russian on the packaging, which excludes its legal sale on the territory of the Russian Federation. It was also noted that medical documents confirming the personal need for the medications and the relationship with those for whom they were intended were presented only after passing through customs. Vitaly Alexandrov intends to challenge this decision as well.

      "Must declare"

      In the legal department of the Tatarstan customs, "Real Time" was explained how to import medications for personal use from abroad to avoid problems and not become an involuntary smuggler:

      — When entering Russia, a citizen must declare the imported medications by submitting a passenger customs declaration and paying customs duties and taxes if these medications are subject to such payment.

      Dinar Fatykhov / realnoevremya.ru

      Bringing in medications for personal use in large quantities — with a supply for the future, as Kazan customs officers clarified, is not prohibited. However, to avoid questions about the volume of imported medications, one should obtain a prescription from the attending physician before leaving for abroad, specifying the dosages and duration of medication intake. Then, even when importing a year's supply of medications, there should be no problems at the border, specialists assured the publication.

      "The main thing is to have a prescription with you"

      — The medication "Galvus Met" is included in the State Register of Medications (GRLS) of the Russian Federation, — pharmacist and lawyer Elena Khazina informed "Real Time." — However, there is a record in the GRLS about the medication "Galvus" (international non-proprietary name — vildagliptin), whose registration certificate expired on October 31, 2025, but the combined medication "Galvus Met" has undergone the registration procedure. Its registration certificate LP-№(001986)-(RG-RU) is valid indefinitely, meaning the medication is officially permitted for use in Russia. Therefore, I have questions about the court's conclusions regarding it.

      Khazina emphasized that metformin is a prescription medication, prescribed to patients suffering from type 2 diabetes, so when importing it even for personal use, one should have prescriptions, as well as documents confirming the relationship with other patients if the medications were planned to be brought not only for oneself but also for them. "If the medication contains potent or narcotic substances, it is essential to have a prescription for this specific medication, not its substitute."

      Real Time / realnoevremya.ru

      However, she believes that declaring medications for personal use is still not necessary, but only if they are intended exclusively for personal use by the individual entering the Russian Federation, and provided that they do not contain potent or toxic substances. If the medication is prescription but not potent, it is necessary and sufficient to present a prescription when importing it.

      Kazan lawyer Vladlen Kopvillem also reminded that the main thing in such a situation is whether the import of certain medications or their components into the territory of Russia is prohibited or permitted by Russian laws:

      — If the medication contains potent or narcotic substances, it