📌I found a very interesting case in the court registry that perfectly illustrates how sometimes thorough customs work d...

📌I found a very interesting case in the court registry that perfectly illustrates how sometimes thorough customs work detecting contraband is quietly undone later in the courts ⚖️

📌 so, in chronological order ⬇️

1️⃣ 19 September 2025 Lviv Customs officially reported discovering fur coats and sheepskin coats worth nearly 6 million hryvnias that were being brought into Ukraine as humanitarian aid.

“A truck arrived at the Krakivets–Korczowa checkpoint heading ‘entry into Ukraine’ that, according to the submitted declaration, was transporting humanitarian aid: women’s clothing, children’s toys, auto parts, etc.

The accompanying shipping documents also stated that the recipient of the aid weighing over 19 tons was one of the charitable foundations of the Odesa region, and the sender was a company from the Republic of Poland.

But during the inspection of the legality of the shipment’s movement, customs officers established that the Polish company was only a freight forwarder, not the donor or the owner of the cargo.

In addition, when inspecting the cargo, customs staff found that the fur products, clothing, children’s toys, auto parts, and safes listed in the declaration bore signs of being commercial goods intended for sale.

Our employees also found undeclared items among the cargo: sets of brushes for braces; a medical device for liposuction; retractable pointers labeled “Labubu”; damaged batteries unfit for use; dietary supplements with an expiration date that ended in March 2021.

A protocol on violation of customs rules was drawn up on this fact, in accordance with part 1 of article 483 (Movement or actions aimed at moving goods across the customs border of Ukraine while concealing them from customs control) of the Customs Code of Ukraine” — this is how this interesting find was described on the official Facebook page of Lviv Customs

2️⃣11 August 2026 Halych District Court of Lviv considered this case and imposed a fine of over 3,2 million hryvnias on the head of the foundation 📦🚁 This was described in detail by the Telegram channel “Sudom po skhemakh” with reference to case No. 461/764/26⬇️

“22 August 2025 year a truck with over 19 tons of cargo arrived in Ukraine via the Krakivets–Korczowa checkpoint. The head of the NGO BF “FREYA EVERYTHING CAN ALWAYS HELP” Natalya Dymova declared it with her CEP as humanitarian aid (women’s clothing, toys, auto parts) from the Polish company TSL BRACIA EXPORT-IMPORT SP. Z O.O. However, during inspection customs officers found a number of significant violations:

Smuggled “hidden” cargo: In boxes under women's swimsuits and between other items undeclared goods were found:

⚙️ 6 680 pcs. of flight controller boards for FPV drones;

📡 1 120 pcs. of antennas for FPV drones;

🦷 4 896 sets of brushes for braces;

🏥 1 a kit of a portable liposuction device;

🧸 7 500 pcs. of retractable pointers “Labubu”. Commercial goods and “humanitarian” fur coats: Among the cargo an invoice from a Chinese company addressed to a completely different Kyiv company was found, as well as fur coats, branded bags, wigs and safes.

Unsuitable junk: The solar batteries had electrolyte leakage and a white residue, and the dietary supplements had an expired shelf life since March 2021 (Polish documents explicitly stated they were to be returned to the sender).

Fake documents: The Polish transit declaration listed a completely different recipient in Odesa and contained no markings indicating the humanitarian nature of the cargo. The total value of the seized property according to the expert conclusion amounted to 6 446 852,45 hryvnias.

⚖️ Defense’s position and the court’s decision

Natalya Dymova and her lawyers asked to close the case, claiming that the cargo had an official humanitarian aid code, that the head of the foundation herself did not personally pack the parcels in Poland, and that discrepancies arose due to errors by the Polish carrier. The court rejected these arguments, emphasizing that it was the foundation’s director who certified the declaration with her CEP, and that the volume, nature and hidden placement of the goods (in particular the drone boards) rule out the version of a “technical error.” By the court’s decision Natalya Dymova was found guilty under part 1 of article 483 of the Customs Code of Ukraine and was sentenced to:

💸 Fine: 50% of the value of the goods — 3 223 426,23 hryvnias;

🚫 Confiscation: the entire seized cargo valued at over 6,4 million hryvnias was confiscated to the state’s revenue;