Customs officers in Krakivka have seized over a hundred smuggled Japanese koi carp worth more than a million hryvnias
On 20 May, a Hyundai Santa Fe driven by a 50-year-old woman from Kyiv arrived at the Krakivets-Korchova border crossing from Poland.
To go through customs control, the Russian-born woman, who was returning from a private trip abroad, chose the ‘green channel’. In doing so, she confirmed that she had no goods subject to mandatory declaration and taxation.
During an inspection of the vehicle, customs officers discovered cardboard boxes in the boot containing plastic containers filled with water. Inside were live ornamental fish, Japanese koi carp.
A total of 133 fish, ranging in length from 16 to 34 centimetres, were found. The boxes bore the names of Japanese breeders: Koshiji, Izumiya, Fukasawa, Marusei, Marusaka and Maruhide.
Koi, or Nishikigoi, translates from Japanese as ‘living jewels’. These are selectively bred carp with bright colouring, kept in ornamental ponds, private collections, garden ponds and specialist aquarium farms.
A report on the violation of customs regulations was drawn up in accordance with Part 3 of Article 471 of the Customs Code of Ukraine. The estimated value of the fish is over 1 million hryvnias.
The seized carp were transferred to a specialist ecological and natural history institution to ensure appropriate conditions for their care.
