2026-01-22 17:52
publication
2026-01-22 17:52
The National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Special Anticorruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) have revealed the systematic acceptance of bribes by high-ranking officers of the State Border Service of Ukraine, NABU reported on Thursday. The former head of Ukrainian border guards, Serhiy Deyneka, was charged.
According to the media, the case concerns the smuggling of cigarettes into the EU.
NABU and SAP revealed that a former high-ranking officer and a current officer of the State Border Service of Ukraine regularly received illegal benefits for helping them freely cross the state border, wrote a NABU press release posted on its website.
According to the statement, this is the former head of border guards, General Serhiy Dejneka, and the head of one of the border crossings. Dejneko was dismissed on January 4 by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“According to sources (…) investigative activities are carried out as part of a case regarding illegal benefits related to cigarette smuggling” – reported the website Ukrainska Pravda.
The investigation established that in 2023, with the support of border service officers, a group of people organized the illegal smuggling of cigarettes from Ukraine to the EU.
For their illegal activities, these people used vehicles registered in the Czech Republic and Austria, with special registration plates similar to diplomatic ones. The passengers of such cars were holders of diplomatic passports – family members of Ukrainian diplomats in Europe. This allowed us to avoid car inspections by border and customs services of EU countries.
In turn, officers of the Ukrainian border service ensured free crossing of the border from and to Ukraine. It has been documented that in the period from July to November 2023, the border guard received approximately 204,000 euros of illegal benefits for the passage of 68 cars.
From Kiev Iryna Hirnyk (PAP)
ira/ap/
