SBU exposes corrupt border guards on attempt to import excisable goods from Belarus (video)
In Rivne region, SBU exposed officials of the border checkpoint on systematic protection payments for the illegal import of excisable goods from Belarus.
SBU operatives established that 15 officials, including the representatives of the State Border Guard Service, organized an illegal channel of transferring goods to Ukraine. The offenders smuggled goods to Ukraine via the so-called “green border”. The goods were stored in the state forestry for further distribution in Ukraine.
Within the criminal proceedings, law enforcement officers documented illegal activities, including the funds received by border guards, as well as giving bribes to the official of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
Consequently, the SBU detained several perpetrators for giving a bribe.
During searches in Rivne and Volyn regions, law enforcement officers seized more than 75,000 packs of cigarettes imported from Belarus and almost 5 kg of raw amber. The SBU also prevented an attempt to smuggle another 225,000 packs of foreign-made tobacco goods through Ukrainian customs.
Investigation is ongoing.
The operation was carried out by the SBU Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime jointly with the SBU Office in Rivne region with assistance of the CSO “A”, the Territorial Department of the State Bureau of Investigation located in the city of Khmelnytskyi and the Internal Security Department of the Zhytomyr border detachment under the procedural supervision of the Military Prosecutor's Office of the Rivne garrison.