Border guards discovered more than 500 packs of cigarettes hidden in the roof of a minibus

At the “Ugryniv” border crossing, military personnel and operational staff from several border guard units, working together with customs officers, thwarted an attempt to illegally smuggle tobacco products across the border. During a thorough inspection of a Renault minibus, the inspection team discovered a specially equipped secret compartment that the perpetrators had installed directly in the vehicle’s ceiling.

This was reported by the 7th Carpathian Border Detachment.

Law enforcement officers seized 520 packs of cigarettes without the required Ukrainian excise tax stamps from the hiding place. A 32-year-old resident of the Volyn region was behind the wheel of the vehicle and was attempting to cross the state border. The woman told border guards that she was traveling to the Polish village of Dolgobychiv solely for personal reasons—allegedly to visit acquaintances.

All the illegal tobacco products found were seized from the driver in accordance with established procedures and transferred to a specialized customs service warehouse for storage. Currently, the relevant procedural documents are being prepared to hold the offender accountable in accordance with applicable law.

In the Volyn region, law enforcement officers uncovered a scheme involving the illegal import of passenger cars under the guise of humanitarian aid for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.