Criminal case opened against Chop customs officers

Yesterday, on May 21, Transcarpathian prosecutors’ office filed a criminal investigation into the abuse of official position for private enterprise by the officials of the sector of customs clearance number 4 at the customs post "Chop-Zheleznodorozhny" (Part 3 Art.364 Criminal Code of Ukraine) – informed the head of the supervision of SSU law observance department during the initial inquiry and pretrial investigation prosecution Mikhail Dancha.

Last October, the officials at the sector of customs clearance of the customs post "Chop-Zheleznodorozhny"  in violation of the Interim Technological scheme of customs procedures in the international railway crossings "Chop-Zheleznodorozhny", having information about the need for a strengthened control at the customs cargo clearance, operating in the interests of a private enterprise, intentionally failed to conduct an in-depth inspection of timber, which was being sent in an open carriage to the Slovak Republic. Customs officials even ignored the weight of the transported goods and allowed the train to leave the territory of Ukraine.

It soon turned out that in this very carriage, hidden from customs control, tobacco products in an amount of 996,966 pieces (4984.83 cartons) of mark «JIN LING» and 1800 pieces (9 cartons) of mark «MAYFAIR» were traveling to the Slovak Republic. Their cost on the territory of Ukraine as of October 16 (the date when the goods were processed on the Ukrainian side) is more than 307 thousand UAH. This was found by the police of the Slovak Republic during the customs control of the rail freight train.

Thus, the customs officers’ intentional actions provided an opportunity for illegal export of the tobacco products on the mentioned amount from Ukraine to the Slovak Republic, concealing them from customs control, have caused substantial damages to legally protected rights and interests of the state and undermined the prestige and authority of the State Customs Service of Ukraine as a law enforcement unit – said the press office of the prosecutor’s office in Transcarpathian region.