ESBU detectives in Volyn exposed a UAH 58 million smuggling of dietary supplements
Detectives of the Territorial Office of the ESBU in the Volyn region have exposed an illegal scheme involving the importation of a large shipment of dietary supplements into Ukraine, disguised as humanitarian aid. The value of the cargo is approximately 58 million UAH.
According to the investigation, a resident of Volyn organized the movement of goods through the "Yahodyn" customs post. To avoid paying customs duties, he used documents containing false information for customs clearance. The products were subsequently intended to be sold throughout Ukraine as commercial goods.
During the pre-trial investigation, detectives established that the charitable foundation used to import the goods was not located at its registered address, and its head had been outside of Ukraine since 2023. Furthermore, the Hungarian company listed in the documents as the donor of the humanitarian aid was not operational at the time the dietary supplements were imported.
During the search of the vehicle used to transport the smuggled goods, detectives seized approximately 400 types of dietary supplements with a total weight exceeding 16,000 kg. The seized items include vitamins, dietary and sports supplements, and amino acids. Both the seized goods and the suspect's property have been placed under arrest.
A resident of Volyn has been notified of suspicion under Part 2 of Art. 201-3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (smuggling of goods). The court has ordered a preventive measure in the form of house arrest for the suspect. The pre-trial investigation is currently ongoing.
Operational support is provided by the SSU Department in the Volyn region, with procedural guidance from the Volyn Regional Prosecutor's Office.
In accordance with Art. 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of a crime and shall not be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in a legal manner and established by a court's guilty verdict.
