Odesa customs officer fined for imposing tribute on caviar smugglers

Tarutino District Court found a senior state inspector of the Dnistrovskyi customs post of Odesa Customs guilty of receiving an undue benefit for assisting in the illegal transportation of black caviar across the border with Moldova at the August 1 - Bessarabiazka checkpoint.

As noted in the court' s verdict, given the defendant's sincere remorse, he was fined UAH 66.3 thousand.

In October 2025, the official met with a fish carrier, who complained about the length and severity of customs control, and the convict offered to help him. The assistance consisted of fast and unimpeded passage of control at the checkpoint "Serpneve-1 - Bessarabiazka" and asked for his services 100 USD for each kilogram of imported black caviar.

The client twice transported five and 10 kilograms of caviar across the border and, accordingly, paid the customs officer USD 500 and USD 1 thousand.

Earlier, the Sixth Administrative Court of Appeal refused to satisfy the complaint filed by the lawyers of the former head of Odesa Customs, Mykhailo Hribanov. The lawyers of the former head of the customs office appealed against the decision of the Chernihiv District Administrative Court, which dismissed Mykhailo Hribanov's claim against the dismissal of the customs officer.

In April, the Prymorskyi District Court of Odesa found the former tax service employee guilty of extortion and receiving an unlawful benefit and sentenced him to five years in prison. The man was also banned from holding positions in law enforcement agencies related to the exercise of organizational, administrative and power for a period of two years and confiscated all his property.

Кирило Бойко