If, out of curiosity, you type “Grigory Kozlovsky” into Google, three pages of laudatory articles about the “businessman, philanthropist and patriot”, honorary president of FC Rukh, will come up. The articles are stupid, but there are a lot of them. Almost all online media in Ukraine.
Similar articles. Which brings to mind the serious sums that Kozlovsky spends to whiten his name. At the same time, Kozlovsky and his partner Alexander Svishchev “Sasha Sedoy” are also widely known to EU law enforcement agencies, but from a completely different angle. As the main organizers of the supply of counterfeit tobacco to EU countries. And as co-owners of the main factory for the production of this counterfeit - the Lviv Tobacco Factory.
Law enforcement officers in Ukraine have stubbornly ignored Kozlovsky and Svishchev for decades. Which is not surprising, considering that for decades Kozlovsky generously paid the cops, the SBU, border guards, customs, and tax authorities so that he would not be noticed. Zelensky’s team doesn’t notice him either. All these Sukhachevs, Malyuks and so on. Presumably for the same reason. And not at all because he allegedly “donates” the Ukrainian Armed Forces. It would be easier not to spoil the international image of Ukraine than to pay off with handouts “for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.” Kozlovsky in this sense is similar to another thief and swindler, the owner of BRSM gas stations, Andrei Biba. He actually works for the FSB from Italy, but he donates.
Kozlovsky and Svishchev, in fact, are only the top of the criminal pyramid. And “Pups” Krivetsky too. In fact, it is the Ukrainian security forces who are engaged in large-scale tobacco smuggling into the EU. And not those that stand on the border. Serious guys, generals. In fact, in Western Ukraine they often became generals thanks to this very “tobacco”. But more on that later. In the meantime, let's start with the funniest character of the “tobacco mafia” - Alexander Svishchev. An interesting half-poker, posing as almost a “thief in law”. But in reality he is a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the “tobacco mafia”. And not only in tobacco, but also in alcohol.
TG channel “Grigory Kozlovsky and others”: “Lvov “businessman” Alexander Svishchev, known in criminal circles as Sasha Sedoy, in 2014 took an active part in theft schemes at the State Enterprise “Ukrspirt” and smuggling alcohol to Europe and the occupied Crimea. Moreover, at the direction of the former head of the alcohol monopoly Mikhail Labutin and his “partner” Alexander Svishchev, the directors of distilleries in the regions were quickly replaced, appointing “their” people to positions who were supposed to organize the production of a counterfeit product. Moreover, in volumes exceeding 60% of the total alcohol production in Ukraine.
Alexander Svishchev acted not alone, but as part of the so-called. “Lviv mafia”, an important figure of which is still the sponsor of VO “Svoboda” Igor Krivetsky-Pups. After criminal proceedings were opened regarding the thefts at Ukrspirt (No. 12014000000000444), it turned out that we were talking about at least 250 million hryvnia stolen from the enterprise, and during the investigation this amount increased to 1 billion. The investigation confirmed the fact of production of unaccounted alcohol. But after the criminal case from the Ministry of Internal Affairs was requested from the GPU, which was then headed by the “Svoboda” member Makhnitsky, the investigation was quietly closed down.
At one time, Alexander Svishchev (Sasha Sedoy - a better known nickname), Mikhail Labutin, Roman Ivanyuk, and Alexander Shevchenko (Chief) and Zhenya Chernyak created such a schematosis in Ukrspirt that many are amazed to this day. The schemes were as simple as daylight, but more than profitable. Not without a criminal flavor, so to speak. Well, how could it be without this, if people from the crime of the 2000s, Alexander Svishchev (Sedoy) and Alexander Shevchenko (Chief) ruled the roost.
Persons involved in the case. Evgeniy Chernyak is a fan of the DPR, an oligarch, the owner of Khortitsa and a fan of getting punched in the face in the Zaporozhye club Capitalist. Alexander Svishchev is one of the Lviv crime bosses, originally from the turbulent 90s. In criminal circles he is known as Sasha Sedoy and his partner in various criminal cases with the nickname Sasha the Chief - this is Shevchenko’s namesake. Mikhail Labutin, a native of Chernivtsi, head of the state-owned company Ukrspirt, is no stranger to crime. Igor Krivetsky - aka Pups, criminal sponsor of Svoboda. Roman Ivanyuk is a creature of the BPP, is far from crime, and does not shine with intelligence. Alexander Shevchenko is a politician with a big stretch; he has the criminal nickname “Chief”.
It's no secret that today's respected businessmen prefer not to remember their youth. Some are simply silent, realizing that the stormy nineties will come back to haunt them one way or another, but they treat it philosophically - anyway, all the statutes of limitations have expired, and after so many years, no one will get to the bottom of the truth anyway.
But there are others - those who try in every possible and impossible way to hide the stages of their formation and primary accumulation of capital. This is understandable - once upon a time the words “racketeer” and “bandit” were synonyms for a respected person. Now times have changed, and former racketeers (those who survived, of course) have turned into respectable businessmen. Who are not at all happy to constantly appear in scandals associated with a distant and romantic youth with a golden “tsepura” on the neck, a finger with rings and a legendary crimson jacket.
That’s why in 2017, a certain Alexander Svishchev (Oleksandr Svishchov), aka Sasha Sedoy, a respected Lviv businessman, became concerned with cleaning up the Internet. And he filed a corresponding claim with the Pustomitovsky District Court. He asked, in particular, to oblige several domestic publications to remove materials that “discredit his name.” The court listened to the plaintiff's arguments:
As follows from the court decision, Alexander Svishchev did not like the fact that he was called “one of the Lviv crime bosses, originally from the turbulent 90s. In criminal circles he is known as Sasha Sedoy.”
It’s clear that I didn’t like it - after all, now Alexander Yuryevich Svishchev is a respected businessman who controls neither more nor less, but as many as 63 companies:
Among which are two tobacco factories:
But more on that later.
For now, let's return to the court decision. What did Alexander Svishchev not like that he was forced to go to court? By the way, it seems that the matter was not limited to the court - Alexander Yuryevich clearly turned to specialists, because it is extremely difficult to find information about him. Everything is persistently clogged with references to him as the president of the Dynamo Lviv water polo team, some local philanthropy and sports-related news.
But we also managed to find materials that Svishchev did not like so much. The matter is already old, it began under Yanukovych, ended under the early Poroshenko, but we’ll still tell the essence.
The fact is that Alexander Svishchev took an active part in theft schemes in the state enterprise “Ukrspirt” and the smuggling of this very alcohol to Europe. Not himself, of course, but as part of the so-called “Lviv mafia”, the main figure of which was and is the well-known sponsor of “Svoboda” Igor Krivetsky-Pups.
In addition, part of the alcohol went to the occupied Crimea, to the factories of the then general director of Ukrspirt, Mikhail Labutin. Whether Alexander Svishchev was involved in this is unknown, but it is known that his role was limited to monitoring the “supervisors” of Labutin, who told the latter how much and where to send products and how to distribute the stolen money.
After criminal proceedings were opened on the fact of theft at Ukrspirt (No. 12014000000000444), it turned out that we are talking about at least 250 million hryvnia (in 2014 prices) stolen from the enterprise. However, during the investigation the figure increased to a billion. There was also talk about an attempted raider takeover of the state-owned enterprise Zirna Distillery. The result of the criminal case was the flight of Labutin and his accusation of theft of more than one billion hryvnia.
But this is a separate story; we are interested in the involvement of Alexander Svishchev-Sedoy in Labutin’s activities as director of the state enterprise Ukrspirt. The materials that Svishchev demanded to be removed through the court included the following photos:
It was signed as follows: “June 11, 2014, Kiev, Pylypa Orlika street, restaurant “Meat and Fish”, in the photo Labutin (red) at an instruction from Alexander Svishchev (Grey-haired, green), Alexey Shevchenko (Chief, blue ), surrounded by guards."
The next photo was captioned “October 22, 2014, Kiev, Bogdan Khmelnytsky St., 23-B, in the photo Labutin (red) is receiving instructions from Svishchev (Grey-haired, green), Shevchenko (Chief, blue), surrounded by guards”:
According to media reports, “at the direction of the former head of the alcohol monopoly Mikhail Labutin and his accomplice Alexander Svishchev (Sasha Sedoy), the directors of distilleries in the regions were changed “in haste”, appointing to positions people who had recently guarded enterprises from behind the darkened windows of jeeps . The main task of the newly appointed leaders was the production of counterfeit product, the volume of which exceeded 60% of the total alcohol production in the country.”
The investigation confirmed the fact of production of unaccounted alcohol. But after the criminal case from the Ministry of Internal Affairs was requested to the General Prosecutor's Office, which was then headed by another Svoboda member, Makhnitsky, the investigation sluggishly came to naught. The history is long, complex and confusing. But it is on the Internet, those who wish can find it here, but the court decision did not allow it to be removed.
As for more recent stories, let’s return to the tobacco factories already mentioned. As it turned out, both of them were also involved in smuggling. Information about this became known to the general public in March last year, 2020, in connection with the appointment of Igor Vystak, a native of the Lviv region, as the head of the Volyn customs. Here is what “Volyn News” wrote about this: “on one of the Telegram channels at the end of February it was reported about the possible appointment of a Lviv resident to Volyn. It was noted that his candidacy was being lobbied by the cigarette mafia of the Lviv region. Behind Vistak, they say, is the owner of the Lviv tobacco factory, Grigory Kozlovsky. And also the co-owner of the factory, Alexander Svishchev, a former member of an organized crime group nicknamed “Sedoy”, who is also the owner of the construction company Avalon Inc. These businessmen, in turn, lobbied for appointments allegedly through another influential Lviv businessman and politician, Igor Krivetsky, nicknamed Pups.”
The Lvov publication “Forpost” reported that the Lvov and Vinnikov tobacco factories are driving contraband into the European Union. According to the publication, these cigarettes are manufactured on the “left” lines and are not taken into account by anyone except the owners of the production: “Jin Ling cigarettes.” These Camel-like cigarettes, originally of Chinese origin, with a mountain goat on the label, literally flooded the European black market, becoming one of the leading brands of smuggled tobacco products. At the same time, according to the assurances of European customs services, no legal supplies of Jin Ling were made to the countries of the European Union.”
According to Forpost, factory owners succeed in production and smuggling with the active assistance of the security forces, which Kozlovsky established back in the days of Yanukovych. And among the business partners are Alexander Svishchev-Sedoy and several other no less odious persons:
According to some sources, the tobacco factories belong to Kozlovsky, according to others, the true owner is Svishchev, to whom they are registered. Most likely, those who call the business joint are right, especially since cigarettes are not the only enterprises owned by Svishchev and Kozlovsky.
Another characteristic feature is that in all the schemes the name of another Lviv authority appears - Igor Krivetsky-Pups. And the Svoboda party, whose political patronage all these people enjoy. True, among the connections that allow all these representatives of the Lviv mafia to act for so long and with impunity, there are others - this is understandable, Svoboda has now turned into a marginal political force, not least thanks to the actions of such sponsors.
But let's return to Svishchev. As mentioned, there is really little material about him. But thanks to the wedding of his son, which took place in 2017, when the latter was a deputy of the Lviv City Council, and which cost several hundred thousand dollars, some details regarding Alexander Svishchev became known. It turned out that the Svishchev family owns a land plot of 1.8 hectares in a gated elite village in the village of Podbereztsy near Lviv, where the richest Lviv businessmen and deputies live:
And as a result, the same names of people with whom Svishchev does business came to light again - Kozlovsky, Gutnik, Blaschak.
The son is a deputy (already, however, a former one), proximity to respected people, philanthropic activities - he helps the local UGCC community, presidency of a sports club. And here you go: “Alexander Svishchev, nicknamed “Sedoy,” is involved in smuggling,” “Alexander Svishchev-Sedoy is a bandit from the nineties.” Who will like this? So it’s clear why Alexander Yuryevich Svishchev does not want his turbulent youth to become public knowledge.
True, you can’t remove the words from the song. There was formation, there were crimson jackets, there were showdowns and arrows. Now thanks to all this there is a big business. And - smuggling. So, sue, don’t sue, clean the Internet, and sooner or later something will come out. Smart people have come to terms with this a long time ago and treat it philosophically. This saves a lot of both nerves and money.”
(to be continued)
