Court in Odesa blocks smuggling investigation

The civil society organization tried to force the prosecutor's office to enter information about the alleged smuggling into the register through the court. They argued that government officials and large commercial firms could be involved in the deal.

This is evidenced by the ruling of the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa.

The Odesa court dismissed the complaint filed by the Non-Stop NGO, which sought to oblige the prosecutor's office to enter information about a possible large-scale electronics smuggling scheme into the Unified Register of Pre-trial Investigations.

As stated in the ruling, the head of the NGO filed a statement with law enforcement agencies in which he reported an allegedly organized system of illegal importation of electronic equipment into Ukraine. According to him, officials of the customs, the State Tax Service, the Bureau of Economic Security and the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine could have been involved in the criminal scheme.

In particular, the scheme involved Apple products, TVs, household appliances, drones and other high-value electronics. According to the NGO, the group members used a number of controlled legal entities, individual entrepreneurs and affiliated companies to implement the criminal plan.

The statement also mentions the names of several large companies, including ASBIS-Ukraine, Comfy Trade, Ravel LTD, TD JSM, and Eltekhopt. The applicant claimed that these companies could import uncertified equipment under the guise of other goods, which allowed them to avoid customs duties and taxes, as well as legalize smuggled products through a network of retailers.

The prosecutor's office, having received the application, did not see sufficient grounds to enter the data into the URPTI. As a result, the organization's representative filed a complaint with the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa, demanding that the prosecutor's inaction be declared illegal.

During the hearing of the case, the judge concluded that the NGO's application did not contain specific information about the time, place or circumstances of the alleged crime, and the facts cited were general and assumed. Therefore, the court found no grounds to oblige the prosecutor's office to register the proceedings. As a result, the court dismissed the complaint against the Non-Stop NGO.

At the same time, in August, in Odesa, SBU officers detained a Moldovan citizen who was trying to illegally transport armor plates and tactical equipment to Transnistria. During the searches, law enforcement officers seized about 500 armor plates and more than 200 tile carriers that he planned to transport across the border disguised as household goods.

Анна Бальчінос