With the start of the new year, we have compiled a collection of high-profile cases of customs violations. Each of these cases is striking not only for its exotic nature but also for its scale — sometimes their value exceeds several million hryvnias.
Apple Worth Half a Million Dollars
This is the estimated value of a batch of smuggled iPhones that customs officials intercepted at the ‘Ugryniv – Dolhobychiv’ checkpoint. During the inspection of a Ukrainian citizen’s vehicle, a well-camouflaged stash was discovered: 424 new iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, hidden behind the vehicle’s decorative panels.
2,500 Ants Without ‘Tickets’
At the ‘Lviv Postal’ customs post, customs officials uncovered a real ant colony in a postal shipment from Kyiv to Wroclaw using the ‘Rapiscan’ X-ray system. The package was declared as a ‘remote control’, but inside were 2,580 ants, each in its own glass vial, hidden in a metal box.
A ‘Snaky’ Day in Shehyni
The day after World Snake Day, the ‘Shehyni – Medyka’ checkpoint had an unexpected continuation. During the inspection of a Mercedes arriving from Poland through the ‘green corridor’, customs officials discovered a box in the trunk with an exotic passenger — a royal python, 45 cm long, native to western and equatorial Africa.
African Curls and Powders from Russia
At the same checkpoint, customs officials found 350 packages of natural afro-kinky hair marked Jiffy Afro kinky human hair bulk 8×30 g. The unusual ‘luggage’ was carried by a 49-year-old resident of Prykarpattia. The driver also tried to bring food supplements from hostile Russia into Ukraine: 143 cans, 30 tubes, and 447 packages. The estimated value of the goods is over 1 million hryvnias.
A Stash Worth 6 Million Hryvnias
Two microbuses — Renault and Mercedes — arrived from Poland at ‘Shehyni – Medyka’ with identical declarations: ‘personal belongings only’. The scanning system detected anomalies in both vehicles. During a thorough inspection, customs officials found 148 Apple iPhones, 99 of which were hidden in a special compartment. The estimated value is over 6 million hryvnias.
A ‘Millionaire’ from the Pedestrian Crossing
During the inspection of a 46-year-old Lviv resident’s belongings while he was heading to Poland via the pedestrian crossing ‘Shehyni-Medyka’, customs officials found 30,700 US dollars and 8,200 euros, not declared. According to the NBU exchange rate, this amounts to nearly 1.7 million hryvnias. Simultaneously, choosing the ‘red corridor’, the man managed to declare an additional 39,300 dollars and 41,800 euros (over 3.6 million hryvnias). The declared funds were returned to him, while the currency, whose origin could not be substantiated with any documents, was temporarily confiscated.
Cocaine and Other Substances Worth 42 Million Hryvnias
At the ‘Ugryniv – Dolhobychuv’ checkpoint, customs officials found well-concealed caches under the chassis of a Renault Scenic. Inside were 27.6 kg of narcotic and psychotropic substances: 6.454 kg of cocaine, 20.587 kg of PVP salts, and 584 g of MDMA-amphetamine. The estimated value of the seized items is 42 million hryvnias.