The SBU blocked activity of a transnational organized group involved in smuggling of excisable goods to the European Union. Allegedly, the monthly smuggling turnover totaled EUR 45,000.

The pretrial investigation established that the group included residents of Zakarpattia and Volyn regions, as well as several citizens of one of the post-Soviet countries. The offenders organized smuggling of wholesale consignments of foreign tobacco for sale in the EU.

Shipments of goods were carried out by the offenders outside the customs checkpoints.

During an inspection of a truck, moving to the state border, law enforcement officers found more than 15 thousand packs of foreign cigarettes listed as household goods in the accompanying documents.

Urgent investigative actions, within the criminal proceedings initiated for transportation of excisable goods for selling purposes, to prosecute organizers and members of the group are ongoing. The SBU verifies possible involvement of officials of the State Border Guard Service and customs officers in smuggling.

The operation was conducted jointly with the SBU Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime, investigators of the State Fiscal Service, the Patrol Police Department under the supervision of the Zakarpattia Regional Prosecutor's Office.