"Fictitious fight - real plunder: Why Ukraine loses millions at customs every day"

"Fictitious fight - real plunder: Why Ukraine loses millions at customs every day"

Has it begun? In the coming weeks, customs will face significant personnel changes. An earthquake.

And this is not instead of reform; it’s just that there is no strength left to endure. Yes, another reshuffle. But there must be some limits to greed and the plundering of the country.

The level of smuggling that has flourished over the past year, the scale of customs officers, law enforcement, and related structures’ involvement in schemes—has crossed all boundaries of common sense. Such integration of crime "at the border" hasn’t happened for a long time. Or maybe never.

The plundering of the country goes both ways. At all customs points. Grain, cigarettes, electronics, clothes—everything! Everything operates according to schemes. Odesa, Lviv, Volyn, Chernivtsi, Zakarpattia, Kyiv. And not partially, but massively. Businesses are outright howling, and in the media, there’s a sort of taboo on these topics. Everyone is afraid to meddle at the border because there are "big money" and "influential people."

And indeed: try going to the border, filming the line of trucks and buses with contraband—and you’ll immediately be accused of gathering information about troop movements. Law enforcement "tricks" are around every corner at the border. But they don’t catch thieves. They guard the "schemes."

Is there any reaction from customs leadership or the Ministry of Finance regarding the story with Lviv buses? The fact proved by the Poles: one bus carries contraband worth $1 million in four trips. 200 buses. Numbers are available, but there is no reaction. It’s awkward because everyone is "in the game."

And the grain in Chernivtsi? After the Romanians detained 32 train cars, customs chief Herasymov didn’t even file a report with the BES. He quietly prayed that no one would spotlight the grain scheme. We spotlighted it. And what? Nothing. And so it is at every customs point.

Do you know how 90% of cars are imported through shady firms in Lutsk and Rivne? Better not know. Taxes—zero, but resellers and customs officers—"with profit."

Raikov, responsible for the entire "fight" against smuggling. What are we fighting against? How many of the sold iPhones bypassed customs? 90%? Got it.

Kolobrodov, leading the coordination and monitoring customs. What are we monitoring? The shadow cash? Understood.

But reports on all this are already on the President’s desk. Everyone there is in shock. No one gave "indulgences" for such large-scale scheming. There will be harsh decisions. And arrests. I hope there will be.

The country needs money for the war and the army, not for apartments in Turkey, Cyprus, and the Emirates for customs officers and certain law enforcement officers.

And yes, this post is pressure on the authorities so that they don’t "back down." Because there is always a chance for that, as sometimes the cash register prevails over common sense and the interests of the state.