Employees of the State Bureau of Investigation seized a batch of 335 boxes of smuggled cigarettes worth 12 million hryvnia, which tried to export to the EU in gasoline trucks, the press service of the GBI reports.
“Employees of the GBR in close cooperation with the State Border Service and the management of the State Customs Service conduct a complex operation to expose the smuggling of cigarettes to the EU. Joint efforts have exposed an illegal scheme of smuggling cigarettes from Ukraine to Romania, which had been operating since July 2023. Attackers were transporting to the EU large batches of tobacco products without excise stamps”, – stated in the message published in the Telegram channel on Saturday.
It is indicated that the supplier of cigarettes was one of the capital’s enterprises.
“Smuggling dealers hid the contraband in fuel tanks. Loaded with tobacco trucks passed the customs control point as empty, and returned to Ukraine with fuel”, – noted in the GBR.
On February 7, GBR officers detained one of the trucks, which was carrying 130 boxes of cigarettes in a tank, the total value of which exceeded UAH 4 million 550 thousand.
On Saturday, February 10, law enforcers found another similar truck, in which they tried to illegally export cigarettes from Ukraine for 12 million hryvnia.
“Attackers hoped that the first detention of smuggled cargo will put the vigilance of law enforcement officers to sleep and tried to smuggle a batch, three times larger than the previous one,” – emphasized in the message.
In total, about 335 boxes with excisable goods, the approximate value of which may be 12 million UAH, were found.
At the moment the question of notification of suspicion of the driver of the truck on the fact of smuggling of excisable goods (part 1 of article 201-4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The sanction of the article provides punishment in the form of imprisonment for up to 6 years.
“Involvement of customs officials in the specified criminal transaction has not yet found confirmation. Further pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings to conduct the Bureau of economic security”, – indicate in the GBR.
Procedural guidance is carried out by Chernivtsi regional Prosecutor’s office.
