Management suspended at Ustyluh customs post, yet smuggling schemes continue to operate

Management changes following media uproar

Personnel rotations took place at the Ustyluh customs post against the backdrop of publications on the illegal movement of cargo. This was stated by journalist Taras Seredych. According to him, following his publications, which mentioned caravans of microbuses covered with tarps at the border, the head of the said customs post, Oleksandr Tkachuk, was suspended, as well as the senior shift supervisors.

Question of professional suitability of other officials

In addition to the suspension of the director, the question of the professional suitability of the deputy for anti-smuggling issues, Dmytro Zabayvskyi, arose. This official holds the position of deputy director of the department and head of the operational department for anti-smuggling. Also, according to Seredych, other employees may undergo an investigation.

Schemes continue to function

Despite the personnel changes, the problem, in the journalist's opinion, has not been resolved. Seredych cites messages from sources who claim that the illegal movement of goods continues: «Все як їхало, так і їде від Чернівців до Волині … і ВСЕ ПРО ЦЕ ЗНАЮТЬ» (Everything that used to go, still goes from Chernivtsi to Volyn... and EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT IT).

Sources also express scepticism about the effectiveness of top-down intervention. As noted in the text received by the journalist: «А ще дуже смішним виглядає особисте доручення департаменту ім. Соломко навести якийсь порядок і в чомусь там «розібратися» на кордоні, коли саме від них і можуть йти такі «вказівки» з відповідними правилами гри» (And it also looks very funny that the department named after Solomko has a personal order to bring some order and "sort out" something at the border, when it is precisely from them that such "instructions" with the corresponding rules of the game may come).