Ukrainian Customs Service reports rise in law violations during humanitarian cargo delivery

MOSCOW. June 16 (Interfax) - The number of reports drawn up by Ukrainian customs officers in January-May 2023 related to violations of customs rules during the transportation of humanitarian cargoes stood at 115, which is 15% higher that over the whole of 2022, Ukrainian media said, citing information circulated by the State Customs Service on Thursday.

The results of inspections carried out jointly by the State Customs Service and the Defense Ministry showed that the receipt by military units and territorial recruitment and social support centers of goods transported across the customs border as humanitarian aid was not confirmed on 653 occasions, including the receipt of plates for bulletproof vests, night-vision devices, thermal sights, drones, vehicles, etc.

The established mechanism for monitoring deliveries to military units of goods as humanitarian aid helped probe more than 5,000 instances of the transportation of humanitarian aid to some 100 military units, the service said.

Furthermore, from January to May 2023, law enforcement agencies received 159 reports about unlawful activities with signs of crimes regulated by Articles 201-2, 358 and 190 of Ukraine's Criminal Code, as compared with 29 such reports in 2022.

The State Customs Service has issued a reminder that importing commercial goods under the guise of humanitarian aid constitutes a legal violation.