Ukraine's SBU security service and Bureau of Economic Security (BEB), have exposed a grain export scheme that cost the country $142 million.
According to The New Voice of Ukraine, over 10 high-ranking officials are involved in the scheme. Among them are the deputy head of a department at the State Customs Service or DMSU, and senior officials of the Odesa Customs House. Together they developed a large-scale scheme for tax evasion in exports of Ukrainian grain.
According to law enforcement officers, more than 370 commercial structures were involved in the scheme. Through them, the suspects bought wheat in bulk from private farmers, agricultural enterprises and large agricultural holdings.
In order to muddle up trade chains and avoid mandatory payments to the budget, the “businessmen” transferred products from one bogus firm to another. Only after that did they sell grain to exporters for sale abroad.
From August to September 2022, entrepreneurs exported more than 1 million tonnes of grain of dubious origin through the capacities of grain terminals in Chornomorsk, Pivdennyi and Odesa ports.
According to reports, BEB investigators are analyzing the activities of suspicious companies and establishing the full range of people involved.
