The Security Service of Ukraine documented and blocked the illegal import of large consignments of fuel to Ukraine from Belarus and Russia.

The suspects were supplying products to a number of commercial entities. In order to avoid paying customs duties and excise tax, they declared false data concerning the content of methyl alcohol in the products. These actions caused particularly big losses to the state budget.

The SBU documented that during 2020-2021, the management of commercial entities sold imported products to risky ventures. Allegedly, they managed to smuggle products worth more than UAH 100 m (USD 3,6 m).

The above entities do not have production facilities and are not located at registration addresses. In addition, the founder, CEO and accountant is the same person.

The organizers processed the imported goods at illegal mini-refineries into counterfeit fuel and lubricants. Then they sold the goods for cash without accounting documents.

During searches in Kyiv, Chernihiv and Luhansk regions, law enforcement officers seized:

• off-the-book accounting records;
• seals of 300 fictitious enterprises;
• communications and computer equipment;
• bank cards and a large amount of cash;
• equipment for illegal production of fuels and lubricants;
• methyl alcohol, chemical additives and finished counterfeit products totaling 1,000 tons.
• The investigation is ongoing.

The operation was conducted by the SBU Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime, the SBU Office in Kyiv and Kyiv region jointly with the Main Directorate for Combating Financial Crimes of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine under the supervision of the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office.

Given the special media coverage of one of the searches that took place in the house of Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klychko, we can report the following.

During the search, the law enforcement seized:

• documentation and seals of 68 legal entities;
• financial and economic documentation belonging to the legal entities involved in the illegal scheme;
• laptops, electronic devices,
• unaccounted cash.