The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) exposed the management of Kyiv, Lviv and Chernivtsi customs offices, which organized a mechanism of illegal receipt of money for the registration of export-import operations, “ProAgro Group” reports with reference to the SBU information.
For various amounts of bribes, they “guaranteed” representatives of agricultural companies unimpeded customs clearance of wholesale consignments of agricultural products exported to the EU countries, in particular Ukrainian grain. Also, the participants of the criminal mechanism extorted money from entrepreneurs who imported foreign consumer goods to Ukraine for further sale in retail chains of our country.
It is noted that the organizers of the scheme received daily “profits” of hundreds of thousands of hryvnias. In case of refusal to pay the “tribute”, they created artificial obstacles during customs procedures and made bureaucratic “refusals” to transport the products.
In particular, the fact of extortion by a customs officer in the capital region was documented. Among other things, he extorted money from a businessman who, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, has joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine and is taking part in hostilities. Therefore, in order to keep his company working, he had to take several days of vacation to pay the bribe. SBU officers detained the official “red-handed” on receiving the entire amount of illegal benefit. The issue of serving a notice of suspicion to him and other participants of the deal is now being decided.
