While corruption scandals surrounding Energoatom are being actively discussed in Ukraine, and anti-corruption agencies are reporting on the fight against multi-billion dollar embezzlement, the customs service continues to function as a powerful scheme for profitable smuggled exports and imports.
According to journalistic investigations and analysts, the key role in these processes is played by the customs service under the leadership of Serhiy Zvyagintsev and his henchmen in the regional customs offices — Ivan Kerezvas, Yuriy Gerasimov, Andriy Koliver, Serhiy Silyuk, and Dmytro Stasenko. As a result of their activities, the state budget is underpaid by hundreds of millions of hryvnias every month.
The mechanism of the schemes is the systematic forgery of documents. Fictitious invoices, contracts, and packing lists create the illusion of importing cheap goods, while in fact, products with a high customs value are imported. Legal registration of such goods would provide significantly greater revenue to the budget.
Dozens of companies are involved in the scheme: "Lidersk", "Vigrion", "Meylan", "Interlumines", "Haberdashery, Clothing and Trifles", "Dann", "Safort Building", "UTK LZS", "Geratros", "Motors Parts Ukraine", "Parus MSM", "Oberig Eco", "Proteya-K", "Sinan Plus", "Logist Trade UA", "Raido Terminal", "Tovarny Kray", "Interlogistik Service LTD", "Update Product", "Kombiline Torg", "Firma Helios Plus", "Optovy Dim Kaido", "Sukhar Import", "Tradinghaus", "Thousand and One Little Thing", "Miopta" and others.
The main consignments pass through Lviv and Volyn regions. At the customs post "Gorodok" clearance is carried out by Yuriy Popov, Denis Lytvyn, Olga Melnykova and Yuriy Chorny under the leadership of Ivan Kerezvas and Dmytro Stasenko. Then the cargo is transported to transit areas, where the seals are cut, the expensive goods disappear, and instead of them the illiquid goods specified in the documents are loaded. Clearance is completed at the Kyiv post "Lisky" under the leadership of Serhiy Silyuk.
Part of the fictitious imports pass through the Vyshneve post and Chernivtsi VMO posts No. 1 under the control of Yuriy Gerasimov, and the flows are exported through the Odessa region, where they are already registered as expensive goods.
The schemes also cover international suppliers from the EU, Asia and the Middle East. Financial flows pass through the banks "Ukrainian Capital", "OTP Bank", "MTB Bank", "Ukrsibbank", "Tascombank", "PrivatBank", "Bank Vostok" and "Clearing House" and are transferred to controlled non-residents without real economic activity.
Despite the scale of the schemes, law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies virtually ignore these violations. The companies and flows are under the direct patronage of customs officials, and including them on the list of risky ones could destroy a system that has been providing profits to the management and their entourage for years.
