The SSU continues to counter systemic threats to state administration. As a result of operational and investigative activities at Kyiv, Lviv and Chernivtsi customs, a corruption scheme was dismantled.

The SSU exposed the leadership of regional customs offices, who organized a mechanism of taking bribes for registration of export-import operations.

For various amounts of money, they ‘guaranteed’ representatives of agricultural companies unimpeded customs clearance of wholesale consignments of agricultural products exported to the EU states, in particular Ukrainian grain.

The participants of the criminal scheme also extorted money from entrepreneurs who imported foreign consumer goods to Ukraine for further sale in retail chains.

Every day, the organizers of the scheme received hundreds of thousands UAH in ‘profits’.

In case of refusal to pay the ‘tribute’, they created ‘obstacles’ during customs procedures and bureaucratic ‘refusals’ to allow the transportation of goods.

The SSU documented a fact of extortion by a customs officer in Kyiv region. In one of the episodes, he extorted money from a businessman who has recently joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine and is taking part in combat. To keep his company working, the entrepreneur had to take several days off to pay the bribe.

The SSU detained the customs official ‘red-handed’ on receiving the entire amount of the unlawful benefit.

The detainee and other persons involved will be notified of suspicion.

In addition, the law enforcement conducted searches at homes and workplaces of the deputy chief of Chernivtsi Customs and officials of Horodok Customs Post in Lviv region.

The pre-trial investigation is ongoing in the framework of criminal proceedings under the Article 368.3 of the CCU (acceptance of an offer, promise or receipt of undue benefit by an official).

The operation was conducted by the SSU Main Directorate for Countering Systemic Threats to State Administration under the procedural supervision of Podil District Prosecutor’s Office of Kyiv.