SBU exposes sale of humanitarian aid in Odesa across 7th kilometer

In Odesa, law enforcement officers uncovered a large-scale scheme of importing goods under the guise of humanitarian aid and then selling them. As part of the investigation, dozens of searches were conducted, and the amount of illegally sold products reaches tens of millions of hryvnias.

This was reported by Antikor.

In the morning, operatives of the National Police's State Investigation Department, together with the Security Service of Ukraine and the Prosecutor's Office, conducted more than 60 searches and investigative actions in Odesa in the case of illegal import of goods registered as humanitarian aid.

According to the investigation, law enforcement officers documented 11 episodes of importing more than 50 tons of goods worth over UAH 44 million. All this cargo, which according to the documents was intended for the needs of IDPs, was actually sold through outlets at the 7 Kilometer market.

The alleged organizer of the scheme is a former employee of Odesa Customs, Serhiy Kolesnikov. He involved two charitable foundations - "Palms of the South" and "Volunteer Wings" - in the scheme. Through them, the import of clothes from Turkey was formalized, which was transferred in the documents to another foundation - "Ridnyi Bereh" - allegedly for humanitarian needs.

However, as the operatives established, after customs clearance, the goods were immediately delivered to warehouses and trade pavilions for sale.

Investigators also believe that Koyunbakan Sheikhmus, a resident of Odesa, was a co-organizer. According to law enforcement officers, he was responsible for the logistics of goods from Istanbul, their sale on the market, and financial settlements with suppliers.

According to the investigation, the scheme involved managers and employees of the mentioned funds who provided documentary cover for illegal activities. Their involvement was confirmed by the materials of covert investigative actions.

Earlier this year, law enforcement officers in Odesa brought a case against officials of a utility company to court. According to the investigation, they misappropriated humanitarian generators worth over UAH 2.2 million.

Анна Бальчінос