The Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine’s Chernivtsi region has filed an indictment with the court accusing customs and border officials of assisting in the smuggling of electronic cigarettes, resulting in a loss of about $1 million in tax revenue for the state. The investigation showed that the relevant personnel deliberately ignored the means of transport, causing 170,000 electronic cigarettes to enter the country illegally.
According to the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine on February 2, the Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine’s Chernovtsi Region has recently submitted an indictment to the court against the staff of the customs and border agency, and the relevant officials are accused of assisting in the import of electronic cigarette products to evade taxes and abuse of power, resulting in heavy losses to the country.
As a result of the investigation, two Ukrainian Chernovtse customs officers conspired with border service personnel to facilitate the illegal import of vape products. They deliberately ignored the transport of vapes from Europe to Ukraine, allowing them to pass customs checks smoothly. As a result of these illegal acts, nearly 170,000 vapes were illegally transported into Ukraine, resulting in a loss of about 42 million hryvnia (about $1 million) in taxes and duties to the state budget.
According to Article 27 (2), Article 212 (3) and Article 365 (3) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, these acts constitute an offence. At present, the case is under further trial, and those responsible will face severe sanctions by law.
The original text can be read: Assisting in smuggling e-cigarettes and avoiding paying customs fees of 42 million Ukrainian hryvnia – customs and border officers to stand trial in Bukovina
