March 29 2005, 12:54 UNIAN

Criminal case started on a fact of major sunseed smuggle from Ukraine

A criminal case has been started in Kherson Oblast of Ukraine on the fact of sunflower seeds smuggle from the country. The worth of the illegal operation is said to be 50.2 million hryvnias ($9.5 million), UNIAN news agency reported.

The new agency reported information from press-service of Kherson Regional Custom Office that in the years 2003-2004 a group of swindlers, under the pretext of free trade agreement between Ukraine and Georgia, had illegally exported from Kherson oblast 33,600 tonnes of sunflower seeds. The shipment was made from Kherson trading seaport, after which the cargo, bypassing Georgian counteragents, was directed to third countries (probably, to Turkey or Syria).

To investigate the case representatives of Kherson Customs Office visited Georgia. In course of the checks it was established that vessels with the seeds had never arrived in this country. The investigation is currently in progress.