ESBU prevents illegal grain export through Odesa Port

 The Territorial Office of the ESBU in the Odesa region, through analytical activities, has dismantled an illegal tax minimization scheme involving the export of agricultural products of unknown origin.

Analysts established that a group of individuals registered controlled enterprises across various cities in Ukraine. Through these entities, the organizers documented the cultivation of corn, despite having no land, employees, or equipment in reality.

In fact, the scheme participants purchased grain from farmers across Ukraine for cash without paying VAT. Subsequently, to create a tax credit and "legalize" the products of unknown origin, they deposited cash amounting to 14% of the goods' value into their companies' accounts and registered tax invoices. This allowed them to bypass tax control and claim a 14% VAT refund from the budget based on the value of the corn.

Detectives dismantled the scheme during the export preparation stage—the entrepreneurs planned to ship nearly 28,000 tons of corn valued at UAH 202 million through the Odesa port to a company in Malaysia. However, thanks to the ESBU's swift operations, the exporter canceled the customs declarations, preventing potential losses to the state budget. A pre-trial investigation is currently ongoing to identify the full circle of individuals involved in the scheme.

Operational support: Detectives for the Strategic Protection of the Economy of the Territorial Office of the ESBU in the Odesa region.

Procedural oversight: Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office.