Timber worth over 1.1 million UAH: ESBU exposed an illegal export scheme in the Lviv region

 Over 134 m³ of beech firewood worth more than 1.1 million UAH was attempted to be illegally exported to EU countries. The illegal export was prevented by detectives of the Territorial Office of the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine in the Lviv region, who exposed the scheme and seized the timber materials.

The investigation established that a group of entrepreneurs, by prior conspiracy, organized the illegal movement across the border of timber materials prohibited from export. To conceal their actions from customs control, the suspects used certificates of origin for timber materials and lumber manufactured from them, which were obtained using pre-forged documents.

Within the framework of the investigation, detectives conducted 15 searches, in particular of truck tractors with semi-trailers. They seized 134.4 m³ of chopped beech firewood, which had already passed customs clearance and was to be illegally exported to EU countries.

The pretrial investigation is carried out under Part 2 of Article 201-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (contraband of timber materials committed by prior conspiracy by a group of persons).

Procedural guidance is carried out by prosecutors of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor's Office; operational support is provided by the Department of the SSU in the Lviv region.

According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered innocent of committing a crime until their guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a court verdict.