The SBU detained the captain of a cargo ship who helped the Russians export Ukrainian grain from Crimea
During the search on board the ship, documents, navigation aids and other physical evidence of illegal activity were found.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detained a foreign cargo ship and its captain, who cooperated with Russian customers, in the waters of the Odesa region. About this reported on the department’s website.
The ship flew under the flag of one of the countries of Central Africa, and its crew was carrying out an order from Russia to export Ukrainian grain from the temporarily occupied Crimea.
According to the investigation, during 2023-2024, the ship repeatedly docked at the sea port of Sevastopol to load looted agricultural products. After that, the ship transported the cargo to the Middle East for sale to the aggressor country.
In order to hide criminal activity, the captain periodically turned off the ship’s GPS tracker and entered unreliable data into the ship’s route and parking logs. In this way, he helped the invaders to export multi-ton batches of Ukrainian grain, stolen from the temporarily occupied regions in the south of Ukraine.
The investigation established that the captain of the cargo ship is a citizen of one of the countries of the South Caucasus. In addition to him, the crew included 12 more foreigners.
During the search on board the vessel, documents, navigation aids and other evidence of criminal activity were found.
On the basis of the received materials, SBU investigators informed the captain of the suspicion under Part 2 of Art. 332-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of the procedure for entering and leaving the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine). The issue of selecting a preventive measure is being resolved. The perpetrator faces up to 5 years in prison.
As part of the criminal proceedings, the vessel was towed to Odesa and arrested by a court decision. An investigation is ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the crime and other persons involved in the illegal activity.
Complex measures were carried out by SBU employees in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Odesa Oblast together with maritime security units of the State Border Service under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor’s Office in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.
