The officers of the Security Service of Ukraine suspect head of the crime detection unit of the Azov-Black Sea regional Department of the State Border Guard Service of assistance in illegal fishing.

According to the investigation, official established a mechanism for systematic receipt of illegal benefits from local fishermen and private entrepreneurs who deal with illegal fishing in the Sea of Azov.

For the monthly bribes, the head of unit closed eyes to a large-scale illegal activity. Depending on the season, including the period of spawning ban and the total catch, the amount of kickbacks ranged from five to ten thousand hryvnias from each vessel. For a fee official warned offenders in advance about raids of law enforcement and regulatory authorities.

The official was detained in the center of Berdyansk during the receipt of the next bribe in the amount of UAH 10 000. Within the framework of a criminal proceeding initiated under Part 3 Art. 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the issue of serving to the detainee a notice of suspicion and choosing a form of detention is being settled. Involvement of other officials of the Service into corruption offences is being checked. The exposing operation was conducted with the Territorial Department of the State Bureau of Investigations, located in Melitopol, under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor's Office.