The Bureau of Economic Security notes that more than EUR 3 billion was withdrawn from Ukraine during the war.
This is stated in the bureau's message, Ukrainian News Agency reports.
It is noted that on April 22, at the initiative of the Director of the Bureau of Economic Security Vadym Melnyk, the first online working meeting was held with representatives of the customs authorities of neighboring European countries (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova).
The meeting was also attended by representatives of the Office of the President of Ukraine, the State Tax Service, the State Financial Monitoring Service.
The issues of withdrawal of foreign exchange funds and values by residents and non-residents of Ukraine to the European Union were discussed.
"From February 24 to this day, citizens of Ukraine and foreigners transport cash, precious accessories and banking metals on an especially large scale across our state border. They often act by prior conspiracy with unidentified persons, according to an agreed criminal plan, without an appropriate customs declaration. At the same time, the goal is to hide the illegally obtained profits and further legalize them in the countries of the European Union. The estimated total amount of funds withdrawn in this way abroad is over EUR 3 billion," Melnyk said.
The Bureau of Economic Security analyzed and has already revealed many facts of illegal export of funds abroad.
The legality of the origin of the withdrawn funds and their possible legalization by transferring or transporting abroad is now being investigated.
If their illegal origin is established, measures will be taken to arrest and further return funds to Ukraine.
In particular, the facts have been established when individuals received funds by criminal means in Ukraine without paying taxes, fees and other mandatory payments.
Citizens were probably participants in income minimization schemes, participants in conversion centers, bribe takers, etc.
According to preliminary results of the investigation, in most cases there are signs of legalization (laundering) of proceeds from crime.
According to Melnyk, cash allegedly obtained by criminal means in Ukraine under such a scheme is de facto legalized in Europe without a corresponding acute response from Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.
Thus, "dirty" money is poured into the EU financial system and can be used for further illegal activities.
To date, the Bureau of Economic Security expects from neighboring countries to respond to its requests for all residents and non-residents of Ukraine who have declared large-scale cash since the beginning of the war.
The head of the Bureau of Economic Security also noted the need to quickly agree and sign memoranda on strategic partnership and information exchange with the countries participating in the meeting.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, the Bureau of Economic Security initiated the nationalization of the property of Russia and Belarus, as well as their citizens in the amount of more than UAH 468 million.
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