Cigarety take out cars

Illegal export of cigarettes from our country in the EU in 2009 continues to gain momentum. According to the State Customs Service of Ukraine (GTSU), for the first nine months of this year recorded 1,828 violations. The customs attributed this situation a huge difference in the cost of tobacco products in Ukraine and abroad.
1000% profit
Director of the organization to combat smuggling and violation of customs regulations GTSU Andrew Fedkin said that the average pack of cigarettes in Western Europe is $ 10.12: This is more than 10 times higher than the Ukrainian rates. This is what makes the smugglers to go to incredible tricks to smuggle goods across the border, after a profit of 1000% can only dream of! According to customs, the liquidity of such operations is so high that even the administrative fines, criminal penalties, confiscation of the vehicle and all the goods do not stop the intruders.
Miracles resourcefulness
Awesome just amazing resourcefulness of the criminals who hide their goods in the most unexpected places. For example, in April this year, customs Vinogradova (which at the Ukrainian-Romanian border) found 4.9 million cigarettes Chesterfield, worth about 111 thousand euros in polished chipboard. Intruders have seized the contents of plates and gently stuffed her goods! A week customs check point "Chop-Zahony on the border with Hungary have witnessed this attraction, when 4.4 million cigarettes LM Red and LM Blue for about $ 100 thousand euros were hidden in the four cryogenic tanks for liquefied gases. "The cost of such vessels, the hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the smugglers in order to obtain excessive profits lead them to complete uselessness", - said Andrei Fedkin.
Ukraine - transit paradise
The main reason for the activity of offenders is the geographical location of our country, which is on land borders with seven countries. His role is also played a large part of the transparency of national borders: Ukraine - is a gateway to Europe for the States of the eastern region. That is why 84% of all cigarette smuggling in the current year were recorded exactly on the borders of Ukraine - EU. Results from January to August 2009 are detained by customs 35.4 million cigarettes, or 1.8 million packs. Thus in 30,7% cases, smuggling was carried across the border with Hungary, 27,8% - with Romania, and only 3,8% - on the Ukraine-Russia border. Habits have changed and smugglers: until 2008 when the first tobacco products "imported" in small quantities for private cars, it is now being taken for the most part of wagons and carriages. It is this incident was recorded in June this year, when the intruders attempted to carry through the Ukrainian-Polish border, more than 1.5 million cigarettes LM Red, LM Blue and Regal in a big bag container capacity of about 2 tons, filled with kaolin and immersed in a railway carriage.
At the same time, the black imported cigarettes in Ukraine went to the decline. Over the past five years, flows reduced by almost half: from 406 to 255 cases. The reason is that most of the contraband tobacco in our country are importing from Russia, Belarus and Moldova, where prices are not much lower than Ukrainian.
One hope - in Europe
The main method of combating smuggling GTSU is cooperation with customs authorities of other countries. Great importance is the exchange of information on cases of dubious' export and transit of "tobacco products. "Unfortunately, the Ukrainian customs service, in contrast to colleagues abroad, has no right to carry out operational-search activities, and it reduces our capacity", - said Andrei Fedkin. The only way that will improve the detection of smuggling, GTSU to accelerating the exchange of information between Ukraine and EU countries. Also, the situation will certainly improve the increase of excise tax on cigarettes.