According to Serbian Economist, organized crime groups from the Western Balkans have ties in Venezuela and are involved in investigations related to cocaine smuggling, Radio Free Europe (RFE) reports.
According to RSE, networks from the Balkans are considered by international organizations, including Europol and Interpol, to be key players in the supply of cocaine from Latin America to Europe, with Venezuela seen as one of the links in this logistics chain.
Sasha Djordjevic, an expert at the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), told RSE that Venezuela is important for cocaine flows as a “strategic outlet” to the Atlantic, although it is not the only and main point of support in the region for Balkan groups.
RSE notes that interest in Venezuela’s role in drug trafficking has intensified following the early January arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, who has been charged in the US and pleaded not guilty in a New York court on January 5.
As one example, RSE cites the case of the detention of the Aressa off the coast of Aruba in February 2020, when, according to the publication, about five tons of cocaine were seized and 11 Montenegrin crew members were detained. In March 2021, an Aruban court sentenced them to prison terms ranging from nine to 15 years. In addition, according to RSE, Europol linked Serbian citizen Miroslav Starčević, who was detained in May 2023 along with other suspects, to this case, and the proceedings in Serbia are currently under judicial review, according to the publication.
RSE also notes that Europol reported no direct cooperation with Venezuela, so information about the possible involvement of Balkan groups is obtained indirectly – through the law enforcement agencies of the countries in the region, while the Interior Ministries of Serbia and Montenegro, according to RSE, did not respond to requests prior to the publication of the material.
The Interdepartmental Commission on International Trade has extended for five months the antidumping investigation into Ukraine’s import of plywood originating from Belarus, initiated on June 22, 2020.
The decision of the commission of July 13, 2021 to initiate an investigation comes into force from the moment of its publication, it is indicated in the notification published in the Uriadovy Kurier newspaper dated July 23.
“The commission, in accordance with the adopted decision, decided to extend the antidumping investigation into the import of plywood originating from the Republic of Belarus to Ukraine by 18 months,” the notice says.
As reported, the said antidumping investigation, the decision on which entered into force on June 25, 2020, was initiated by Ukraine on the basis of complaints from Ukrainian companies, namely Kostopil Plywood Plant LLC, Ukrhosptovary Private Enterprise, Uniplit LLC, Standard 2002 LLC, Start production cooperative.
According to the applicants, during the observation period up to the third quarter of 2019, the share of plywood imports from Belarus increased in absolute terms by 691%, in terms of consumption – by 559%, and production – by 858%. At the same time, the price of imported plywood was higher than the price of the applicant (except for 2016-2017), which led to a negative trend in its performance in the domestic market.
Ukraine has initiated a special investigation into imports of sodium hypochlorite into Ukraine (according to foreign economic activity code 2828 90 00 00), regardless of the country of origin and export.
According to the report in the Uriadovy Kurier newspaper, the Interdepartmental Commission on International Trade adopted the corresponding decision on May 19, having considered the statement of JSC Dniproazot.
Based on the results of the consideration, the Commission found that the application contained sufficient substantiated evidence, on the basis of which it can be assumed that imports of sodium hypochlorite to Ukraine were carried out in such volumes and on such conditions that could cause significant harm to the national producer.
Within 30 days from the date of publication of this report, the Ministry of Economy registers the interested parties of the special investigation and considers the requirements for holding hearings.
According to the State Statistics Service, imports under a broader code (other hypochlorites) in the first quarter of 2021 amounted to almost 1,500 tonnes for $500,000, including from Italy – 90 tonnes for $160,000 and Russia – 75 tonnes for $120,000.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he considers the investigation of the impact of ex-Vice President Joe Biden on the resignation of Prosecutor General of Ukraine Viktor Shokin in 2016 to be his duty.
“As President, I have an ‘obligation’ to look into corruption, and Biden’s actions, on tape, about firing the prosecutor, and his son’s taking millions of dollars, with no knowledge or talent, from a Ukrainian energy company, and more millions taken from China,” he wrote on Twitter commenting on the investigation in the framework of the impeachment proceedings initiated by the Democrats.
The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) has started an investigation on the indices of possible anti-competitive coordinated actions when fixing price on the energy coal of state-run mines for the needs of thermal power plants (TPP) and combined heat and power supply plants (CHPP).
“The committee established that within 2017-2018 Energy and Coal Industry Ministry of Ukraine held meetings with state-owned enterprise Derzhvuhlepostach, PJSC Donbasenergo, LLC DTEK Energo, Ukrinterenergo State Foreign Trade Company, PJSC Cherkasy Khimvolokno, LLC TehNova company to reach the agreements over fixing prices for coal products of state-run enterprises for TPPs and CHPs that is confirmed by the protocols of these meetings,” reads by regulator-issued report.
According to the AMCU, these companies are potential competitors in the electricity and steam coal markets, respectively, the support of these companies to increase prices for coal products for TPPs and CHPs to a certain level could lead to distortion of competition.
In this regard, the committee began consideration of the case regarding anti-competitive actions of these companies, violation by the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry of law on the protection of economic competition in the form of inducing business entities to take anti-competitive concerted actions and promotion of such violations.
As reported, in recent years Ukraine’s Energy and Coal Industry Ministry during meetings recommended prices for coal sales of state mines for thermal power plants.
The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) will officially start working on November 27, the Uriadovy Kurier newspaper said. In an announcement published in the paper on November 23, SBI chief Roman Truba says the State Bureau of Investigation will start working from November 27, 2018 as a central body of the Ukrainian government to perform law enforcement activities aimed at preventing, exposing, stopping, solving, and investigating crimes placed under its jurisdiction.
Earlier in November, Truba said that 295 investigators of the SBI will be appointed on November 27 and they will be taking the oath of office. Among them are 102 investigators of the central office and 193 investigators of the SBI’s territorial departments.
The SBI said investigation units have been set up at the central and regional offices to work in three areas, such as investigations into crimes involving official activities and corruption, investigations into crimes committed by members of law enforcement agencies and in court activities, and investigations into military and war crimes.
