Ukrainian blackened death metal band 1914 has publicly criticized Italian financial authorities after being fined €4,800 during a border stop. The group alleges that the Guardia di Finanza unfairly penalized them over how they were transporting cash donations raised on tour to support the Ukrainian military.
Following what was a successful inaugural performance in Italy, the musicians were pulled over while attempting to leave the country. The band released a detailed statement outlining the extensive search they endured.
“Despite the fact that our first show in Italy yesterday was great and full of wonderful moments and meetings, we ended up in a very unpleasant situation. On our way out of Italy, we were stopped by the financial police (no, no, it had nothing to do with our Ukrainian license plates) and checked as if we were some kind of criminal elite.”
The conflict centered around the physical storage of the charitable funds. The band maintained that they were operating within legal boundaries based on individual cash declaration allowances, but authorities took issue with the money being consolidated in a single location.
“We were carrying cash donations for the army – funds we collect during the tour. And this didn’t sit well with the officers, because the cash was kept together in one box,” the band explained.
“Even though we did not exceed the declaration limits per person and did not break any laws, the Italian Guardia di Finanza saw it differently and fined both us and the donation funds,” they continued.
Attempts to de-escalate the situation and clarify the ultimate destination of the money proved entirely unsuccessful on the spot, even with outside legal counsel.
“This is the first time we’ve ever encountered something like this. We explained what the money was for and what we were doing – it didn’t matter. We called a lawyer, but that didn’t help much either. Even explaining that this money was meant for drones, medical supplies, or a vehicle made no difference.”
Expressing deep frustration over the financial loss intended for war relief efforts, 1914 closed their statement with a sharp message directed at the Italian officials who issued the penalty.
“We hope that the €4,800 taken from us by the Guardia di Finanza will help them continue their work confidently and feel satisfied. But i want you to know – your people completely f’cing wrong.”
“Thank you to everyone in Italy who supported us, helped us, and donated.
See you on October!” the band concluded.
