Criminal tow trucks "Express-T": the company is accused of theft and drug trafficking

Criminal tow trucks "Express-T": the company is accused of theft and drug trafficking

In the capital of Ukraine, despite the war, the transport mafia continues to operate. On paper, it provides taxi and transportation services. But in reality it is engaged in illegal car towing, outright car theft and suspicious transportation. The name of this company is familiar to many - "Express-T" .

Any attempts to find out on what basis a company is engaged in illegal activities are met with aggression and threats of physical violence. It seems that the “expressive” representatives of this company know that they can afford such behavior, because they probably have a serious “protection” in the metropolitan police. Read more about this in the material "Apostrophe".

From evacuated cars to broken fingers

Recently, an outrageous story rocked social media. Journalist Henadiy Pavlichenko published on his Facebook page a video of a conversation with drivers of the capital’s evacuation service under the guise of the same "Express-T". One of them, in a rude manner, using profanity, tried to prevent the journalist from filming, threatening to “break his fingers.”

Screenshot from video

Even a superficial search reveals a lot of negative information about this company. Thus, according to media publications , Express-T, although it does not have an agreement with the Kyiv City State Administration for the evacuation of cars, is actually a monopolist in this market.

This is not the first time that Express-T has had a run-in with media representatives: in 2015, a well-known investigative journalist, Volodymyr Boyko, tried to use Express-Taxi services and was outraged when they refused to serve him in Ukrainian. Instead of apologising and resolving the conflict, the service’s managers initiated a smear campaign against Boyko, labelling him a "Nazi". In response, Boyko did not remain silent either and conducted an investigation into the office. Then he found out that the Pryimak family - Oleksandr and his parents Nataliya and Oleh Pryimak - were behind Express Taxi. He also found out that Express-Taxi did not actually have a single officially registered taxi driver or registrar of payment transactions, and that all their revenue was "black money". And that they have committed many serious offences, which will be discussed below.

Despite the fact that more than 9 years have passed since Volodymyr Boyko’s investigation, Express-T continues to do its dirty work. It has 51 criminal cases under various articles, but it not only successfully implements its deals, but also wins millions of dollars in tenders.

Screenshots from the YouControl website

Now Pavlichenko, who also has negative experience with this office, is also conducting his own investigation. He managed to unravel the mystery of such impunity for Express-T.

“I was informed that Oleksandr Pryimak has a high-ranking metropolitan policeman among his friends and business partners (read “protection”). Now it becomes clear why this office, having 51 criminal cases, continues to work quietly. It seems that someone in topic, and in share! " , writes Pavlichenko .

Drug couriers with checkers

One of the articles under which Express-T representatives are accused is Article 309 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which relates to illegal drug trafficking. It turns out that cars under the name "Express Taxi" are engaged in the transportation and delivery of drugs. Video confirmation was provided by a Telegram channel, which states that Express-T service drivers deliver cocaine to order.

Screenshot from video

“They are delivered by Express-T taxi drivers, who have special passes and can easily pass through checkpoints at any time of the day. Delivery is included in the price. The minimum order is three grams of Uncle Kolya. The guys have a “strong roof,” the publication says.

By the way, this is not the first recorded fact when drivers of the Pryimak company were caught with drug shipments: criminal proceedings under Article 309 against Express-T were initiated at the end of 2023.

It was “nobody’s”, it’s now mine

Another area of Express-T activity is car theft. In principle, many consider their activities of forced evacuation of Kyiv residents’ cars to be theft, but in this case they hide behind a noble goal - to clear the streets of parked cars in order to reduce traffic. But in the history in question, it is difficult to find justification for them.

We are talking about the events in Bucha and Irpin in the Kyiv region in the spring of 2022. Immediately after the Russian occupiers were expelled from there, Express-T trucks began visiting there. And they simply took away cars abandoned by owners who fled the Russian invasion. According to criminal proceedings opened at the end of 2022 against representatives of this company, the value of the stolen cars “is two hundred and fifty or more times the tax-free minimum income of citizens,” which, according to the Criminal Code of Ukraine, qualifies as grand theft.

Screenshot from YouControl website

According to the indictment, the thieves selected the most expensive, best cars and simply hauled them away with their tow trucks. And in order to avoid unnecessary questions, they painted the symbols of the Russian occupiers on them - Z and V. They say that everything is legal: Ukrainian tow trucks remove cars belonging to the occupiers. Although the further fate of these cars is unknown. And the owners of returned stolen cars would really like to know about it and are now suing en masse.

Tender winners are involved in crime

So, what do we have in the bottom line? In the capital, the Express-T transport company operates and flourishes, which is involved in criminal cases and has more than fifty criminal proceedings of varying degrees of severity - from drug transportation to car theft.

Investigations against this structure have been ongoing for almost 10 years, but none of the owners of the company - the Pryimak family - were harmed. Moreover, the family leads such a secret lifestyle that we could not even find photographs of Oleksandr Pryimak and his parents. Obviously, they really don’t want to shine, given the type of work they do.

Despite the criminal trail, Express-T wins tenders worth tens of millions of hryvnia. Including, provides services for the State Administration of Affairs

and "Operator of the gas transmission system of Ukraine"

Mykola Tkachuk