Customs officers at Poland’s eastern border have detained a Russian man trying to smuggle in three kilogrammes of amber stuffed down his underpants.

The man also had amber pieces taped to his legs. Customs officers decided that the smuggler, who had tried to drive into Poland from Kaliningrad last night, was acting suspiciously. It turned out that under his trousers he had stuck amber with tape to both of his legs. He also confessed that he was carrying another big piece of amber, which he then removed from his underwear.

The smuggler now faces a hefty fine.

The biggest European reserves of amber lie in the enclave of Russian-controlled Kaliningrad, and the route through the Gronowo border is often used for trafficking. The biggest heist at the Gronowo border pass was 220 kilogrammes of the precious resin, heading from Russia to the Tricity of Gdansk, Gdynia and Sopot on the Baltic coast. (ek/pg)