At the Chernivtsi Customs, a large-scale scheme of fictitious import and smuggling has been uncovered

At the Chernivtsi Customs, a large-scale scheme of fictitious import and smuggling has been uncovered

The Chernivtsi Regional Prosecutor’s Office has initiated criminal proceedings on the grounds of fictitious import of goods carried out through the local customs. The information has been entered into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations under Part 2, Article 201-3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (smuggling).

The investigation centers around officials of the Chernivtsi Customs, Illya Tkachuk and Vitaliy Lakhman, who are suspected of official forgery and abuse of office during the processing of customs declarations for non-existent goods.

According to operational information, the actions were carried out with the approval of the customs chief Yuriy Herasymov. His name has already appeared in several other anti-corruption cases, particularly regarding the illegal export of cigarettes masquerading as mineral wool.

The investigation has also identified a number of Ukrainian companies that participated in the scheme:

• LLC “Pepper Star” — imported products from TORQUE TRADE LIMITED;
• LLC “Lavra Group” — pseudo-imports from the same supplier;
• LLC “Loyalhillz Group” — imported from Latuna Limited;
• LLC “Nexus Torg” — received goods from NEOTRADE LIMITED.

All legal entities have signs of fictitiousness: minimal authorized capital, recent registration, universal economic activity codes. They were used for documentary cover-ups for illegal withdrawal of funds, evasion of customs duties, and legalization of smuggled goods.

The scale of the scheme indicates its systemic nature and the existence of a deeply integrated corruption network involving government officials, fictitious companies, and foreign suppliers.