No, I might have had a firearm lookalike cigarette lighter in my checked-in airport/aircraft hold luggage, I might have dared to have two aerosols of deodorant rather than just one ... I mean I was really naughty during my day!
I read a few times a trick that the someone puts a wallet with money on the ground. You pick it up and give it to the person that dropped it and the police is called. You get accused of stealing it. It takes a bribe to get you out of that.
Before recent Ukrainian/Russian unrest, a Ukrainian friend was traveling from Ukraine to Moscow. At the border, the train was boarded by the police. One Ukrainian was detained. I don't know the circumstances.
Another incident, during the recent unrest, a Russian friend told me she was traveling to Russia via Ukraine. Again, the police boarded the train and searched the belongings of a Ukrainian. My friend was looking at the police with contempt and her things were searched too.
I rather enjoyed Ukrainian trips by train from north to south and vice versa. My question is, how safe are Americans from being searched and fined without cause in Russia or Ukraine these days? Is it more or less likely to be searched by plane rather than train?
rb if you are dark skinned, doesn't matter the nationality, anywhere in the fsu you are going to come under additional scrutiny by police - document checks, etc.
As for paying bribes I've been told this is pretty much standard. One Moscow businessman told me he gets stopped by traffic police all the time and just pays a bribe because he doesn't have time to fight it. Time is money.
The police had tried to collect a bribe from me cause I was a foreigner driving with foreign documents. My lady at the time did all the talking and shut him down. Later, on my way to KBP , the police collected €10 for speeding. LOL
In the old days one could smoke at/in the bar at DNK airport, then some less than obvious "no smoking" signs appeared whilst there were still ashtrays on the bar and tables.
As one looked around the police were watching just waiting for someone to light a cigarette ... Fortunately I was tipped off so didn't fall for it.