Operated without legal grounds and issued fake receipts: ESBU exposed a network of illegal currency exchange offices in the capital

 The activity of a network of currency exchange offices that illegally carried out the purchase and sale of foreign currency was exposed by detectives of the Territorial Office of the ESBU in Kyiv. Based on the results of the conducted searches, cash in various currencies for a total amount exceeding 7 million UAH in equivalent was seized.

The pretrial investigation was initiated on the basis of materials from the Main Directorate of the State Tax Service in the city of Kyiv.

The investigation established that the network of currency exchange offices carried out the purchase and sale of foreign currency without the proper use of registrars of settlement operations. Clients were issued simulated fiscal receipts that did not confirm the execution of operations in the manner prescribed by law.

It was also established that the offices were not entered into the corresponding state register and did not have the right to carry out operations with foreign currency.

During authorized investigative actions, ESBU detectives seized over 1.4 million UAH, nearly 125,000 USD, and 7,000 EUR. Specialists of the Main Directorate of the State Tax Service in the city of Kyiv were involved in documenting the illegal activity.

The pretrial investigation is ongoing, and the full circle of persons involved in the organization of the illegal activity is being established. The preliminary legal qualification is Part 2 of Article 200 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine: illegal actions with transfer documents, payment instruments, and other means of access to bank accounts, committed repeatedly or by prior conspiracy by a group of persons.

The sanction of the specified article provides for a fine in the amount of 5 to 10 thousand tax-free minimum incomes of citizens—from 85 to 170,000 UAH.

Currently, the Main Directorate of the State Tax Service in the city of Kyiv is preparing the relevant materials for the application of financial sanctions provided for by law for the detected violations.

Procedural guidance is carried out by the Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office.

It should be noted that according to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a court verdict.