According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, law enforcement officers have uncovered a group that in 2022–2026 illegally imported diamonds, precious stones and exclusive jewellery into Ukraine; a serving employee of Zakarpattia Customs was involved, and searches recovered jewellery with an estimated value of over $1 mln.
Method of importation and sale of goods
A serving employee of Zakarpattia Customs, together with his wife, arranged the movement of jewellery across the state border to conceal it from customs control. The high-value goods were imported without payment of customs duties and other mandatory charges.
Diamonds, other precious stones and exclusive jewellery, including pieces set with rare natural diamonds, were sold under the organisers’ own brand through a jewellery boutique in Kyiv owned by the scheme’s organisers. During searches of a car, a jewellery workshop and the boutique, jewellery with an estimated value of over $1 mln was seized.
Progress of the investigation and legal qualification
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. Once the necessary expert examinations have been completed, the final amount of damage caused to the state will be determined and a decision taken on notifying the persons involved of suspicion.
The investigation is being conducted on suspicion of criminal offences under part 2 of Article 364 (abuse of power or official position) and part 2 of Article 201-3 (smuggling of goods) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
