How the Transcarpathian Shimaniv clan established an international cigarette smuggling channel
Have you already forgotten about the three tanks of cigarettes that were detained at the Romanian border last week? But in vain, I have something interesting to tell you.
Thanks to friends from Romania who were interested in this story, we now have a more complete picture of the work of this truly systemic smuggling channel.
Firstly.
In recent months, all three gas tanks, two of which were detained at the border, and the third was found abandoned in a parking lot in Solotvyno, made a total of thirty smuggling trips with cigarettes to Romania under the guise of being empty. And all the times no one noticed cigarettes in them. It happens.
During each voyage, all three tanks visited several specific points on the territory of Romania, one of which, according to preliminary data, cigarettes were unloaded.
- The first point is a complex of hangars near the village. Obrejița. 45°29’43.6"N 27°04’32.1"E ;
- The second point is parking and dismantling of cars near the village. Pătrăuți 47°42’10.4"N 26°11’12.5"E ;
- The third point is a large warehouse complex near the village. Șcheia 47°39’18.6"N 26°12’22.3"E .
None of the points look like a place for loading liquefied gas, but as a place for a “stash” of smuggled cigarettes, it looks very good. But Romanian law enforcement officers are already doing this.
Now as for car owners.
Based on the information received, behind all three cars and their “flights” is the influential Transcarpathian family Shiman from the famous village of Nyzhnya Apsha. Well, where the houses have 200 rooms and 5 floors.
The owner of the first detained DAF tractor (KA3936IO) and tank (BC2597X...) is Shiman Nutsu Vasilievich, born 08/10/1962, resident of the village of Nyzhnya Apsha.
According to the Shlyakh system, the right to use this car was also issued to the Lviv company Naftil LLC.
By the way, she is connected with the tender mafia at Ukrzaliznytsya, as she took technical (dummy) participation in 15 Ukrzaliznytsya tenders for the supply of metal brackets, springs, fastenings for rails, etc. But that’s another topic.
The next vehicle detained at the border is a tractor (AO6086NR) and a tank (AO3162X)…
Its owner is Oprish Olena Yuriivna, born 06/09/1989. Resident of Transcarpathian region, town. Nyzhnya Apsha.
In 2023, a person with the same name and surname was brought to administrative responsibility for violating the rules of trade in excisable goods.
The third tank with cigarettes (AO8253XP), found abandoned in a parking lot in Solotvyno, belongs to Silviya Shiman, born May 10, 1981, who also lives in the village of Nyzhnya Apsha.
My sources in Ukraine believe that the organizer of these smuggling operations is Shiman Ivan, born on July 18, 1971, who now lives in Kyiv.
Ivan Shiman is the owner of the company LATUM.BUD LLC 44296553, which is registered in the village of Nyzhnya Apsha and is engaged in the wholesale trade of gaseous fuel. Well, the same one that all these family gas carriers transport.
The director of this company is Vasyl Shiman. A person with such data is a deputy of the Solotvyno village council , and in the village itself there is a hotel of the same name “Shiman” .
This is the picture we get as of today.
I wrote a long time ago that the crossing of the border by cigarettes is regulated by local clans and criminal groups. It is they who create a constant connection with customs officers, border guards and law enforcement officers that is impossible to overcome. And it doesn’t matter if it’s Volyn, Transcarpathia or Lviv. The pattern is the same everywhere.
But in this particular story, we are interested in getting to where these illegal cigarettes are produced.
This is still a quest, but we are working.
20 February 2024 г., 16:26
