Customs "Cosa Nostra" of Ukraine: how to overcome the corruption hydra

Corruption at Ukrainian customs is one of the most acute and systemic challenges for the state. Illegal fees that are taken from every vehicle crossing the border have become a common practice, turning customs authorities into a kind of mafia structure

From small inspectors to high-ranking officials, every chain of this system is engaged in extortion of money, which not only undermines the country's economy, but also slows down its integration with Europe. Despite numerous attempts at reform, the real fight against corruption at customs remains largely declarative

The screenshot shows an example of how a mid-ranking Odessa customs official completely lost control, carried away by the purchase of luxury cars. Why, for what, for what means? The only adequate answer to these questions can be

“Choked with impunity, they don’t know what to do with the cash they get from daily robbery at the border!

In my previous material, “Slow rot and the stench of endemic corruption at customs is killing the state,” I tried to prove this thesis. Let me briefly recall the main conclusions

There is a criminal group operating at customs in Ukraine that is engaged in systematic extortion of funds from all vehicles crossing the state border

The goal of this group is to constantly receive small amounts (20-50-100 US dollars) from each vehicle through blackmail and extortion. Thanks to the large number of customs posts, inspectors and vehicles, these small extortions turn into a large-scale collection of cash, which customs officers take out every day from their jobs and are passed on further down the chain - to the customs management, to law enforcement officers who “protect” these extortions

This scheme involves all customs officers who are involved in the clearance of transport and cargo. The difference between this system and the classic mafia structure is that it involves exclusively civil servants of the customs authorities of Ukraine. In other countries, such as Italy, Colombia, Guatemala, where similar racketeering mafias exist , individual officials usually participate in the schemes, but such large-scale participation of civil servants is typical only for Ukraine

Detentions at customs throughout Ukraine only confirm my conclusions

“The security service eliminated the corruption scheme operating at the Odessa customs. As a result of the measures, two officials were detained. According to the investigation, the chief state inspector organized the systematic extortion of bribes for the unhindered movement of transport across the border. In case of non-payment, carriers were subject to additional inspections of cargo, which delayed the time of customs control and violated the contractual obligations of importers.

The SBU and the State Bureau of Investigation detained a customs officer in the Carpathian region, who demanded a bribe from importers. The head of one of the key customs control departments of the Ivano-Frankivsk customs, who organized a criminal mechanism for receiving bribes, was detained. In exchange for bribes, he “guaranteed” entrepreneurs the absence of artificial obstacles during the customs clearance of their goods and transport.

These messages clearly describe how bribes were demanded for the unimpeded movement of transport across the border. But the “office” ones do not eliminate the schemes, but seem to only make room for the next cache customs officers. Our authorities daily detain customs officers with caches, but gradually, so the system works successfully and for a long time, like a full-fledged octopus, which instantly restores severed tentacles by other government employees

Why don’t they affect the entire system? Because this could disrupt the constant flow of dirty cash throughout the country. If everyone is “transplanted,” then where will they get money for Mercedes and Audi for officials? It is impossible to destroy such a “state” system

Back in 2018, I personally spoke about customs schemes to senior German officials. At the meeting were Vice-President of the Bundestag Wolfgang Kubicki, Member of the Bundestag Gude Ensen, Member of the Bundestag Johann Saatthof, Head of the Office of the Vice President Konstantin Stelmach and Deputy Ambassador of Germany to Ukraine Wolfgang Bindseil Ya then called “Don’t give them money!” Now this is, of course, impossible, but it’s good that my calls were heard overseas

Today, speaking about reforms in customs, we can directly say to the Americans, Germans, Canadians, British and other donors, “Our government is lying to you! At the highest level you are being misled, without hesitation. Nobody is going to carry out real reforms of Ukrainian customs

Why do I say this? The only document in parliament that today concerns customs is bill No. 6490-d, which the Verkhovna Rada supported as a basis and which provides for a “real” reboot of the GTS. The project provides for commissions with international affairs to elect the director of the GTS and recertify personnel. But this is not a reform. , this is nonsense Customs in Ukraine is a system with hundreds of thousands and millions of dirty money, and parliamentarians propose to resolve the issue by certifying workers

Because, as Alexey Leonov, a member of the Committee on Finance, Tax and Customs Policy, says

– a new Customs Code of Ukraine is being actively developed (who is developing it and where?)

– a strategically important task is the digitalization of customs (who is developing it and where?)

– an important area is the technical re-equipment of customs; soon scanning systems for inspecting trains and containers will appear in Ukraine for the first time (Leonov, they have existed at customs for a long time, but do not work because customs officers “don’t want” to use them)

– the state customs service actively cooperates with the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which makes it possible to quickly fulfill one of the European integration obligations to criminalize smuggling (How many years has this fight been going on? Most smuggling schemes have been created and implemented by customs officers themselves)

And as a result, the same Leonov reports “The European Commission came to the conclusion that it was the customs sector among all other areas in Ukraine that has achieved the greatest progress in fulfilling European integration obligations.” This is a complete lie

Therefore, when the entire civil service works like Cosa Nostra, knocking cash out of every truck and transferring it to the Kyiv offices, and you are convinced of great success, and as reforms you are offered only, and as reforms you are offered to choose the head of this Cosa Nostra in a competition and regularly recertify ordinary gang members. You shouldn’t expect anything else from these figures.

Below I will once again present what this parliament proposes to reform by the fall

Is that all? Of course, when the entire civil service works like a mafia structure, using its members (civil servants) to extract cash from transport, distributing the resulting flows of dirty cash to the leaders and those who ensure this scheme in law enforcement and legislative bodies, someone thinks that instead of reforms Simulacra and lies will be offered at all levels. There will be nothing else from these figures.

Is that all? Of course, when the entire civil service works like a mafia structure, using its members (civil servants) to extract cash from transport, distributing the resulting flows of dirty cash to the leaders and those who ensure this scheme in law enforcement and legislative bodies, someone thinks that instead of reforms Simulacra and lies will be offered at all levels. There will be nothing else from these figures.

If customs did not terrorize transport with delays and endless inspections, extracting handouts, one would still be able to endure it. Customs officers would already be making “earnings” from their schemes of “gray imports,” “interrupted transit,” cargo substitution, etc. But the octopus wanted more, and they began to demand from each car. With this you can no longer go to Europe. This is disgusting.

It seems that the only option is external management of Ukrainian customs. With high salaries for inspectors and management, with full responsibility for work, with transparent procedures. Yes, this option will be expensive for the country. But is it really possible to keep Cosa Nostra on state support and watch the flows of “dirty cache” from every inspector in Kyiv, demonstrating the complete degradation and collapse of the management system of an important public service, no more expensive And systematically lie to our donors from all over the world that we want to reform something? We need to turn to the British, Swedes, Finns, etc., who want to help, explain that we ourselves cannot cope with this customs shame, and ask to sell (rent, transfer for a while...) the entire customs control system to border At least in the west and in the ports In the north and east there is no need for customs at all Even if there are high fees and slogans that we are losing subjectivity Flows of dirty cache, schemes, extortions and other customs pleasures in the country are still costing shame, lies and terrible financial losses of the budget The authorities, unfortunately, do not take into account and are not going to take into account these losses, since there is a cache, a live cache, and every month. And this is more important to them, even in wartime.

During the war, we switched to Western weapons and the corresponding procedures. We did not lose our subjectivity. It’s the same with customs - we need help from the West, because our officials themselves are not able to cope with this task Because they don’t want and don’t know how. And cash for there are not too many of them, especially since it is so dirty.