The Security Service of Ukraine blocked the activities of an international group of amber smugglers. During the multi-stage operation, several consignments of "sunstone" worth more than UAH 11 m (USD 390,000) were seized from the suspects.

During searches of the suspects’ residences and production facilities, the law enforcement seized:

• almost 1300 kilos of amber of various fractions;
• more than 170 kilos of finished products;
• technological equipment for amber processing;
• computer equipment and off-the-book records proving the illegal activity.

The law enforcement began documentation of illegal activities of the group in September last year. As of now, the SBU blocked the smuggling channel and established the identities of the organizers.

The perpetrators smuggled goods through international mail services, as well as "Boryspil" and "Lviv" airports using forged shipping documents.

Allegedly, the illegal business was organized by a citizen of one of the countries of the South Caucasus. The group involved seven residents of Rivne region, who bought illegally mined amber from local miners.

The suspects manufactured jewelry on order from foreign clients. They used the production capacity of one of the private enterprises in the region to process the sunstone.

The investigation of illegal extraction, sale, acquisition and processing of amber is ongoing. The issue of serving the suspicion notices to the perpetrators is being settled.

The smuggling scheme was blocked jointly with the investigators of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Rivne region, under the supervision of Rivne Region Prosecutor's Office.