The SBU blocked the illegal activities of businesspersons who appropriated vessels of Ukrainian Danube Shipping Company PJSC, which is subordinate to the Ministry of Infrastructure.

The SBU investigators established that the illegal scheme was set up in 2017-2018 by the management of a company, which leased 32 barges from the shipping company. The suspects illegally transported the vessels to one of the countries of the Black Sea basin and re-equipped them. After that, the vessels with forged documents were used in the Ukrainian waters.

Currently, the law enforcement officers are conducting searches of the suspects’ residences and offices of a number of companies involved in the scheme. Seized evidence of illegal activity will be attached to the case file.

The law enforcement officers also established the location of the vessels, and measures are being taken to return them to state ownership.

The criminal case is initiated under Part 2 of Art. 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The operation was conducted by the SBU Main Directorate of Economic Counter-Intelligence Protection of the State's Interests jointly with detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine under the supervision of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office.