MP's property seized in Odesa region due to timber smuggling

In Odesa region, a court has seized the property of a deputy suspected of large-scale timber smuggling to the EU. It is about hundreds of cubic meters of wood and forged documents, and new details of the investigation are still emerging.

This was reported by the press service of the Territorial Department of the State Security Service in Odesa region.

According to the detectives of the Territorial Department of the Bureau of Economic Security in Odesa region, the court imposed a pre-trial restraint on a deputy of the Dobriansk village council of Chernihiv region. During the investigation, it was established that the suspect, along with two accomplices, had been smuggling timber to the EU countries for a year.

To do this, they forged documents on the origin of wood, obtained fake certificates and submitted false information for customs clearance. The timber was transported through various checkpoints to avoid the attention of law enforcement.

In total, they smuggled almost 115 cubic meters of wood out of Ukraine. The suspects were detained while trying to export another batch through the Starokozache checkpoint in Odesa region.

The court seized the MP's property to ensure compensation for the damage caused: 39 land plots, 2 residential buildings and vehicles. The total value of the seized assets is almost UAH 30 million.

According to Serhii Muntyan, Head of the SBU Territorial Department in Odesa region, based on the materials of the SBU detectives, the court imposed on the organizer of the illegal activity a custodial measure of restraint with the possibility of bail in excess of UAH 3 million. The pre-trial investigation under Part 2 Art. 201-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine is ongoing.

Operational support is provided by the SBU Office in Chernihiv region, and procedural guidance is provided by prosecutors of the Odesa Region Prosecutor's Office.

Also, based on the materials of the detectives of the same Department of the BES, the court previously found guilty an entrepreneur who illegally exported timber to the EU using forged documents and sentenced him to imprisonment.

In addition, the deputy head of the BES Territorial Department in Odesa region, who is suspected of financing the occupiers, was recently taken into custody. According to the investigation, he was associated with a company that operated in the occupied Luhansk region and transferred money to support the Russian army.

Анна Бальчінос