The Economic Security Bureau has completed a pretrial investigation and filed an indictment against a resident of the Lviv region who organized the illegal import of vehicles under the guise of humanitarian aid.
The scheme was uncovered by operatives of the Volyn Border Guard Detachment in collaboration with detectives from the Economic Security Bureau’s Territorial Unit in Lviv Oblast, with support from the Criminal Analysis Division. Operational support was provided by the Strategic Investigations Directorate in Volyn Oblast of the National Police’s Strategic Investigations Service, while procedural oversight was handled by the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
Details of the Scheme
According to the investigation, the organizer was a 60-year-old resident of the Sheptytskyi District. Using the resources of a charitable foundation, he arranged for the purchase of vehicles abroad.
The essence of the scheme: the vehicles were officially imported into Ukraine as humanitarian aid (free of charge for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine), but in reality, they were intended to be sold to private individuals for profit.
Scale: The suspect smuggled 17 vehicles into Ukraine in this manner.
Total value: over 2.19 million hryvnias.
What penalties does the suspect face?
The case has been referred to court. The defendant’s actions have been classified under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
1. Section 1 of Article 201-4—smuggling of excise goods.
2. Part 1 of Article 205-1 — forgery of documents submitted for state registration of a legal entity (or fictitious entrepreneurship/document fraud in this area).
The penalties under these articles provide for severe punishment for abuse of power during martial law and profiteering at the expense of the Ukrainian army.
Based on information from the 6th Volyn Border Guard Detachment.
