$25,000 for a deferment and university admission: State Customs Service official exposed in corruption scheme
Kyiv • UNN
A State Customs Service official is suspected of demanding $25,000 for employment, a deferment from mobilization, and admission to a university. He was detained.
Law enforcement officers detained an official of the State Customs Service of Ukraine who is suspected of receiving $25,000 in exchange for assistance with employment at the customs service, followed by arranging a deferment from mobilization, and assistance with university admission. The Prosecutor General’s Office reports this, according to UNN.
According to the investigation, the individual is the deputy head of one of the departments and head of a division of the Personnel Department of the State Customs Service.
Details
The official allegedly promised a man employment at the customs service, which was supposed to serve as grounds for obtaining a deferment from mobilization. He requested $25,000 for this service. In September 2026, law enforcement officers documented the official receiving $15,000.
In addition, the investigation established that the suspect may have acted in collusion with unidentified officials of one of the specialized universities. He also offered assistance with admission to a higher education institution. Initially, the official demanded $8,000 for this service, but later increased the amount to $10,000. According to the investigation, in August 2026 he received these funds for himself and other individuals.
Under the procedural guidance of prosecutors from the Prosecutor General’s Office, the official was detained and notified of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 27, Part 3 of Article 368, and Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The court is currently selecting a preventive measure for the man.
We remind you
In March 2025, a top official of the Lviv customs service was caught accepting a bribe of $23,000.