Court in Zakarpattia confiscates 60 litres of beer a man tried to bring in from Czechia

Attempt to import a large batch of alcohol

A customs rule violation was established in Zakarpattia during the movement of cargo from Czechia. A resident of the region, driving a minibus, attempted to cross the border with a significant quantity of beer without properly declaring it. Following the court hearing, the offender was fined, and the seized goods were transferred to the state.

Circumstances of the stop at the border crossing

On 5 October 2026, at approximately 05:30, a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vehicle approached the "Uzhhorod-Avtomobilny" border crossing point of the Zakarpattia Customs Administration. Vasyl Kotyk was at the wheel, travelling from Czechia. The driver chose the "green corridor" for customs clearance, which effectively constitutes a declaration that there are no goods requiring written declaration or subject to restrictions.

During the inspection of the luggage compartment, customs officers discovered 120 glass bottles of "Gambrinus" brand beer. Each bottle had a volume of 0.5 litres, with the total volume of the seized alcohol amounting to 60 litres. The beverage had an alcohol content of 4.3% and was produced in Czechia. The driver provided no documentary evidence for these goods. In his explanations, he claimed he was unaware of the existing restrictions on the import of alcoholic beverages.

Regulatory restrictions on imports

In accordance with Article 376 of the Customs Code of Ukraine, adult citizens have the right to import no more than five litres of beer per person without paying customs duties or providing a written declaration. Customs officers returned the permitted portion to the driver — 10 bottles (5 litres). The remainder of the batch, namely 110 bottles (55 litres), became the subject of an administrative offence.

Court decision and penalty amount

On 3 November 2026, a judge of the Uzhhorod City District Court delivered a verdict. Vasyl Kotyk was found guilty of violating customs rules, specifically for failing to declare goods subject to restrictions, under Part 3 of Article 471 of the Customs Code of Ukraine.

The court imposed a fine on the man in the amount of 300 non-taxable minimums of citizens' income, equivalent to 5,100 hryvnia. The court also ordered the confiscation of the seized beer. The market value of the entire batch of 120 bottles was assessed at 6,179.80 hryvnia. Additionally, 665.60 hryvnia in court fees were levied on the offender in favour of the state.