Law enforcement officers have exposed a scheme through which more than 117 tonnes of ethyl and methyl alcohol with a total value of nearly UAH 97 million was illegally imported into Ukraine, declared as a fuel additive, the Office of the Prosecutor General has said.
"According to the investigation, the suspects organized the import of large batches of excise alcohol while concealing it from customs control. In the documents, the cargo was designated as a fuel additive (‘Fuel Additive Solvent’), changing its name and commodity code. An enterprise registered to a dummy person was used to import the alcohol. Documents with knowingly false information about the actual contents of the cargo were submitted to customs authorities. Throughout September and October 2024, more than 117 tonnes of ethyl and methyl alcohol were moved across the state border under this scheme. The truck drivers, according to the investigation, were not informed about the true nature of the cargo," a message on the Telegram channel reads.
The actions of the individuals involved have been qualified under the facts of moving excise goods across the customs border with concealment from control by a prior conspiracy of a group of persons on a large scale, entering knowingly false information into documents for the state registration of a legal entity, and using knowingly forged documents.
Under the procedural guidance of the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, the organizer of the scheme and two of its perpetrators have been served notice of suspicion.
