The SBU Main Department of Internal Security exposed an official of the Halytskyi customs office and two former police officers involved in a scam with cars imported from Europe. The offenders entered false information into the customs database for owners of cars with the European license plates to avoid responsibility for violation of transit.

According to the investigation, the offenders incited a resident of Lviv region to bribe a customs inspector to enter invalid data on a car with EU number plates to avoid liability.

In particular, the customs officer had to register alleged transportation of the said car from Ukraine to Poland. A third person involved in the scam had to give a bribe of USD 1,300 to a law enforcement officer.

The offenders were detained after receiving USD 900 of the second part of the bribe.

Terms of detention and serving of suspicion notices within criminal proceedings for bribery are being considered.

The law enforcement officers are currently conducting searches of the customs post and offenders’ residences and checking involvement of customs officers in illegal activities.

The operation was carried out by the SBU jointly with the State Bureau of Investigation in Lviv, under the supervision of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor's Office.