In the Lviv region, SBU officers, together with the police, detained an official of the Lviv customs, Ilarion Kravchenko, who, in exchange for bribes, facilitated the illegal import of luxury jewelry into Ukraine. According to the SBU, the customs officer promised not to hinder the import of goods of the Cartier, Hermes, and Van Cleef brands, and also provided instructions to clients on how to disguise jewelry during customs inspection.
Kravchenko estimated his services at 4% of the value of the goods. Law enforcement officers documented several episodes when, thanks to his assistance, jewelry worth 375 thousand euros was illegally imported into Ukraine. The arrest took place “red-handed” after receiving the third part of the bribe — 10 thousand dollars. The total amount of the bribe received by the customs officer was 15 thousand dollars.
The detainee was informed of the suspicion under Part 3 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (receiving an unlawful benefit by an official). Kravchenko was suspended from his position for the duration of the investigation, and the court determined a preventive measure for him in the form of detention with the possibility of posting bail in the amount of UAH 500,000.
Law enforcement officers continue their investigative actions to establish all the circumstances of the case and the possible involvement of other persons in the illegal movement of jewelry across the customs border.
