Law enforcement officers exposed the customs officers of the Odessa airport on the system extortion of bribes

Law enforcers exposed a bribe extortion scheme organized by officials of the Odessa Airport customs post.

For at least six months, customs officers demanded money from passengers for trouble-free baggage clearance, according to the press service of the SBU department in the Odessa region.

In particular, this concerned passengers who, under the guise of personal belongings, transported clothes across the border for sale. In fact, in exchange for a bribe, the attackers exempted shuttle traders from duties and payments.

One of the officials was caught in the act. For $400, he offered the man to go through customs without delay with four suitcases of clothes brought from Turkey for resale, the press service of the police explains.

In addition, for $700, the customs officer offered the passenger of the Istanbul-Odessa flight to return nine bags with things seized by his colleagues earlier.

The chief state inspector of the customs post was informed of the suspicion under Part 3 of Art. 368 (acceptance of an offer, promise or receipt of an unlawful benefit by an official) and part 2 of article 369-2 (abuse of influence) of the Criminal Code.

The exposure of illegal activities was carried out by employees of the SBU Department in the Odessa region together with investigators from the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Odessa region under the procedural leadership of the Odessa Regional Prosecutor’s Office.