Shadow import of alcohol worth 97 million: organizers notified of suspicion

 Three citizens of Ukraine have been notified of suspicion based on the fact of smuggling alcohol and methanol worth UAH 97 million.

The suspects organized the illegal movement of excisable goods across the customs border, concealing the cargo from customs control. To implement the scheme, they used a pre-registered shell company. The large-scale scheme of underground import of excisable products into Ukraine was shut down by detectives of the Territorial Office of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine in the Kyiv region.

The investigation established that to give the operations the appearance of a legitimate business, the dealers registered a front company using forged documents. This allowed them to import raw materials unhindered under the guise of official cargo.

The participants of the scheme systematically imported ethyl alcohol and methanol without proper customs clearance. According to the results of forensic expert examinations, the market value of the smuggled goods reaches 97 million hryvnias.

Currently, the suspects are charged with large-scale smuggling of excisable products, forgery of documents, and introducing knowingly false information into state registries (part 2 of article 201-4, part 2 of article 205-1, part 2 of article 28, and part 4 of article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The pretrial investigation is ongoing. Detectives of the ESBU are establishing the full circle of individuals involved in organizing the scheme, as well as the channels for the subsequent sale of the raw materials.

Operational support is carried out by employees of the Department for Protection of National Statehood of the Security Service of Ukraine. Procedural guidance in the criminal proceedings is exercised by prosecutors of the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.