A tax evasion scheme involving international transport has been uncovered in Zakarpattia
According to the investigation, officials at the transport company organised a scheme whereby part of the ticket proceeds was received in cash directly as passengers boarded the buses. The journeys were made from Ukraine to the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia, and in the opposite direction. This was reported by the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine and the Department of Economic Crime of the National Police of Ukraine.
Tickets were formally sold via a network of controlled sole traders online. Passengers booked them online but paid the drivers during the journey, including in foreign currency. Boarding was often organised outside bus stations.
The cash received was not reflected in tax returns, which allowed for tax evasion. According to operational data, up to 100 tickets could be sold daily.
As part of the investigation, law enforcement officers carried out authorised searches, including at the bus station. Over 10,000 US dollars, around 30,000 euros, nearly 20,000 Czech korunas and 15,000 hryvnias were seized, along with equipment, documents and records of the shadow accounting.
According to the investigation, between 2024 and 2026, the carrier may have transported around 200,000 passengers. As a result of these activities, the state budget has suffered losses amounting to millions.
The criminal proceedings are being investigated under Articles 212 and 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Operational support is being provided by officers of the USR in Zakarpattia Oblast of the DSR of the National Police of Ukraine, with procedural supervision provided by the Zakarpattia Oblast Prosecutor’s Office.
The investigation is ongoing.
