In the Volyn region, law enforcement officers have uncovered a scheme for illegal mining, which was implemented under the guise of geological research. This was reported by Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko.
According to him, a company from Lviv received a special permit for geological study of a coal deposit, but in fact it conducted full-fledged industrial mining for five years. The total amount of damage caused to the state was estimated at more than 102 million UAH.
During this period, as noted, almost 105 thousand tons of minerals were mined, including siltstone, mudstone, and sandstone. The director of the company has already been declared a suspect, and law enforcement officers have conducted searches in several regions and seized equipment, cash, and evidence.
The prosecutor’s office noted that such schemes are systemic in nature, and current legislation makes it difficult to promptly terminate special permits even when violations have already been established.
