The State Border Guard Service has uncovered the smuggling of alcohol via diplomatic consignments worth 4 million hryvnias
This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General.
Prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor General, together with detectives from the Economic Security Bureau, have exposed a group of six people suspected of smuggling alcohol under diplomatic cover.
According to the investigation, the participants in the scheme used connections within the diplomatic missions of foreign states accredited in Ukraine.
This allowed them to declare the alcohol as cargo for official use, which is not subject to taxation.
In this way, well-known brands of alcohol were imported into Ukraine without paying excise duty or other mandatory charges.
The total value of the illegally imported goods, according to law enforcement officials, exceeded 4 million hryvnias.
How the scheme worked
After customs clearance, the alcohol was removed from the warehouses and distributed to garages and storage facilities.
The products were stored there until they were sold to end consumers.
According to the investigation, this logistics system helped to conceal the goods from inspections and sell them outside the legal market.
Law enforcement officials note that the scheme had been operating for a long time and involved several storage and distribution locations.
What charges have been brought
All six members of the group have been served with notices of suspicion.
They are charged with large-scale smuggling of excise goods under Part 2 of Article 201-4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
They are also charged with the illegal storage, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages under Part 1 of Article 204 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The court has seized all the confiscated alcoholic products.
Bail has been set for the five suspects – almost 1 million hryvnias each. The case materials do not specify what decision was taken regarding the sixth suspect.
The investigation into the case is ongoing.
Who is investigating the case
The case is being handled by prosecutors from the Office of the Prosecutor General and detectives from the Economic Security Bureau.
According to the investigation, law enforcement officers have documented the chain from customs clearance of the goods to their storage and subsequent sale.
It remains to be established whether other individuals were involved in the scheme, in particular those who may have assisted with the clearance of goods or the sale of alcohol.
In accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
As reported by ThePublic, an underground alcohol production operation was uncovered in Dnipro, with products worth over 4 million hryvnias seized.
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