Contraband of Dietary Supplements Disguised as Humanitarian Aid Uncovered in Volyn Worth 58 Million

According to information released by the press service of the Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine (BEB), a contraband scheme involving food additives has been uncovered, organized by a resident of Volyn. Investigators revealed that the individual facilitated the movement of goods through the customs post 'Yahodyn,' employing falsified documents for customs clearance. This maneuver allowed him to evade customs duties, with plans to sell the products in Ukraine as commercial goods.

The BEB emphasized that the charitable foundation through which the goods were imported was not located at the legal address provided. Furthermore, the foundation's director has been outside Ukraine since 2023, raising serious questions about the legitimacy of the operations associated with this foundation. Investigators also discovered that the Hungarian company listed as a donor of humanitarian aid was not operational at the time of the importation of the dietary supplements.

During a search of the vehicle transporting the contraband goods, detectives seized approximately 400 different types of dietary supplements, totaling over 16,000 kilograms. Among the confiscated items were vitamins, dietary and sports supplements, and amino acids. An arrest has been placed on all seized goods, as well as on the property of the individual involved, highlighting the seriousness of the situation.

The resident of Volyn has already been notified of suspicion under part 2 of Article 201-3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which pertains to the smuggling of goods. The court has imposed a preventive measure in the form of house arrest for the suspect, allowing the investigation to continue without the risk of the suspect fleeing.

This case of contraband occurs against a backdrop of other crimes related to illegal schemes. Recently, the BEB uncovered another scheme involving the illegal construction on state land in Kyiv, which resulted in damages to the state exceeding 2.3 million UAH. This indicates systematic problems with compliance with legislation and oversight of charitable foundations in Ukraine.

In light of these events, it is crucial to emphasize that law enforcement agencies continue to actively work on identifying and halting such crimes. The public is also urged to be vigilant and cautious when interacting with charitable foundations, especially in the context of war, where issues of humanitarian aid are of utmost importance.

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