Corruption in State Border Guard Service: top officials' bribery exposed (PHOTO)

NABU and SAPO have exposed a former senior official and a current official of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine for systematically receiving unlawful benefits to facilitate unhindered crossing of the state border.

Among the suspects are:

the former Head of the State Border Guard Service, a general;

the head of a checkpoint unit of the State Border Guard Service;

a former official of the State Border Guard Service.

Legal qualification: Part 4 Article 27, Part 4 Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

According to the investigation, in 2023, a group of individuals organized the illegal smuggling of cigarettes across Ukraine’s state border to the EU. Senior officials of the State Border Guard Service facilitated the scheme and, in return, received unlawful benefits regularly.

Between July and November 2023 alone, border guards received at least EUR 204,000 in bribes for the unhindered passage of 68 vehicles (EUR 3,000 per vehicle).

To conceal their activities, the perpetrators used vehicles registered in the Czech Republic and Austria, fitting them with special license plates resembling diplomatic plates.

Passengers in these vehicles were holders of diplomatic passports—family members of Ukrainian diplomats in Europe. The presence of such passengers allowed the cars to avoid inspection by the border and customs authorities of EU states. At the same time, detectives established that senior officials of the State Border Guard Service had previously served alongside diplomats whose relatives later became participants in the scheme.