Transported contraband cigarettes worth UAH 15 million under the guise of strawberries - driver from Moldova received suspicion notice
Kyiv • UNN
A 44-year-old citizen of Moldova has been notified of suspicion of smuggling cigarettes worth over UAH 15 million. The tobacco products were discovered under a load of strawberries at the "Mamalyha" checkpoint.
In Bukovyna, law enforcement officers notified a 44-year-old citizen of Moldova, suspected of large-scale smuggling of excisable goods, of suspicion. According to the investigation, a hidden batch of cigarettes worth over UAH 15 million was found in a truck transporting strawberries to Romania. This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General, as conveyed by UNN.
Details
Instead of strawberries - cigarette smuggling worth more than UAH 15 million. The driver of an international carrier has been notified of suspicion. Under the procedural guidance of the Chernivtsi Regional Prosecutor's Office, a 44-year-old citizen of Moldova, a driver of a company engaged in international freight transportation, has been notified of suspicion
According to the investigation, on June 30, the man was traveling from Ukraine to Romania through the "Mamalyha" checkpoint. According to the documents, the semi-trailer contained over 15 tons of fresh strawberries from a Ukrainian producer, but during customs control, inspectors noted a discrepancy between the truck's weight and the declared parameters. After that, the vehicle was directed to the "Porubne - Siret" checkpoint, where a scanning system confirmed the presence of hidden cargo.
Behind the strawberry cargo, 480 boxes of cigarettes without Ukrainian excise stamps were found. A total of 360,000 packs of tobacco products were seized. According to the expert examination, the value of the seized tobacco products exceeds UAH 15 million.
The suspect's actions have been classified under Part 2 of Article 201-4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - smuggling of excisable goods on a large scale. The court imposed a preventive measure - detention with the possibility of posting bail of over UAH 800,000. The truck and semi-trailer have been seized. In accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered innocent until their guilt is proven in court