Four inspectors from a department of Odesa customs have been exposed for systematically accepting bribes from transporters.

Prosecutors from the Odesa regional prosecutor's office, in collaboration with the SBU and investigators from the State Bureau of Investigation in Mykolaiv, revealed the corruption activities of these customs officers.

According to the investigation, instead of combating smuggling, the customs officials established a corrupt mechanism, forcing businesses to pay for unhindered movement of goods.

The bribe amounted to between 120 to 200 US dollars for each vehicle.

Given the average volume of export shipments, this scheme could generate up to 5,000 US dollars weekly from just one crossing point.

Currently, the four officials have been charged under Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (accepting illegal benefits).

The prosecutor's office is initiating the imposition of preventive measures and their suspension from office. The pre-trial investigation continues.