One of the main customs officers was detained in the Carpathian region: he demanded a bribe from importers

One of the main customs officers was detained in the Carpathian region: he demanded a bribe from importers

The SSU and the SBI detained the head of one of the main customs departments in a corruption scheme.

This was reported to the SSU in the Ivano-Frankivsk region.

According to the investigation, the official organized a criminal mechanism for receiving money from representatives of importing companies.

“In exchange for bribes, the official “guaranteed” entrepreneurs not to create artificial obstacles during customs clearance of their goods. To implement the scheme, the defendant involved several customs brokers from Ivano-Frankivsk and Transcarpathian customs. One of them was involved in the fraud as an intermediary for transferring bribes from entrepreneurs,” the report says.

Law enforcement officers documented four cases of the defendants receiving unlawful benefits.

“After this, law enforcement officers detained the organizer of the crime and the intermediary red-handed while receiving a new “tranche.” The issue of informing both detainees of suspicion under Part 3 of Art. 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (acceptance of an offer, promise or receipt of unlawful benefit by an official),” the SSU noted.

The perpetrators face up to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property. Searches are currently ongoing at the places of work and residence of the defendants. Security forces are establishing all incidents of the crime and the full range of persons involved in it.