Taras Tymoshchuk’s customs network: how the 4th Directorate of the SSU took control of smuggling in Lviv and Zakarpattia regions

Taras Tymoshchuk’s customs network: how the 4th Directorate of the SSU took control of smuggling in Lviv and Zakarpattia regions

Smuggling in Transcarpathia and Lviv Region under the «reliable control» of SSU Officer Tymoshchuk.

In November 2024, media reported that NABU conducted a search at the residence of the head of a unit in the Central Office of the SSU, Taras Tymoshchuk. Detectives recorded him communicating with the head of the department for combating smuggling and customs violations at Rivne Customs, Andriy Dzhyuba, whom the HACC sent into custody with a bail of 15 million UAH. Later, it was reduced, and then he was released under a personal undertaking.

The case was transferred to court in early March. According to the investigation, Dzhyuba, in conspiracy with colleagues, established a mechanism for receiving bribes from importers. Businessmen paid for the «green light» during customs clearance and the opportunity to declare goods at artificially reduced rates. The bribes amounted to 277 thousand dollars, which were distributed among the scheme participants. 

Literally a few months after the search at Tymoshchuk’s, journalist Yevhen Plinskyi reported that he was involved in another scandal.

A conflict erupted at Lviv Customs between the then-head Andriy Kuznik and the head of the 4th SSU Department, Taras Tymoshchuk. As the journalist wrote, the reason for the conflict was the parties’ differing views on tariffs and conditions for importing vans, additional loads, etc.

According to Plinsky, Tymoshchuk presented Kuznik with certain «work» conditions for companies under his vertical that transport Chinese goods through Poland. Kuznik did not accept the conditions, which provoked the wrath of the «four» in the form of blocking all schemes. A «landing force» arrived at the customs to incline it toward «correct» work and behavior. With Kuznik himself, Plinsky writes, educational work was conducted, after which he finally «broke», as his people and companies suffered from the blockade. As a result, the parties reached a balance, and control of the customs effectively passed under Tymoshchuk’s management.

Subsequently, in September 2025, Kuznik was dismissed, after which Tymoshchuk faced no obstacles.

In February, the «landing force» from the 4th SSU Department already «landed» at Transcarpathian Customs «to detect, stop, and prevent possible illegal movement of goods». As journalist Plinskyi noted, the real and non-public goal was to establish interaction with the newly appointed head of the customs, Illya Nizhnikov. The latter did not conflict with Tymoshchuk but immediately agreed to the conditions.

As a result, within a month at Transcarpathian Customs, they staged a show «shake-up»: a surge in smuggling exposures, detention of lower- and middle-level customs officers, placement of their own people, etc. All this was presented as the joint coordinated work of Tymoshchuk and Nizhnikov, wrapped in the narrative of bringing order to Transcarpathian Customs. 

And then everything proceeded almost according to the scenario previously played out at Lviv Customs: corrupt smuggling flows became more protected with each passing day.

Large-scale and global detentions of «smuggled goods» became fewer and fewer, while statistics were «made» at the expense of non-system small-time smugglers or beginners in such «business». This is easily traceable from the official reports themselves, which mostly mention, for example, relatively small batches of equipment. In particular, seizures of iPhones from intercity bus drivers or their passengers, but these are stories about dozens, at most hundreds of devices.