Ukrainian caught entering Malta with 19,000 contraband cigarettes held in remand

A Ukrainian national caught entering Malta with 19,000 undeclared cigarettes has been denied bail on the grounds that he has no ties to the island and is at risk of absconding.

Ihor Klymenko, 38 from Kiev, pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him, where he is accused of being in breach of excise duty regulations as well as VAT regulations. Both the Customs Director General and the Tax Commissioner asked the courts to carry out proceedings based on the alleged breaches.

On 7 August officers from the Enforcement Unit stopped a Ukrainian passenger for a luggage scan at Malta International Airport, after he exited from the ‘Nothing to Declare’ channel. The passenger had just arrived from Riga, Latvia.

The Officer scanning the luggage immediately noted that it might be containing a considerable amount of cigarettes. Before opening the said luggage the Officer inquired with the passenger whether the luggage was his and he confirmed. On opening the luggage it was revealed that the contents consisted solely of Seventy (70) cartons NZ American Blend x 200 cigarettes each and two hundred and fifty (250) loose packets NZ American Blend x 20cigs each. In total, this amounts 19,000 cigarettes.

In total, the cigarettes are valued at €551, however, for that volume of cigarettes, Klymenko should have paid an excise duty worth €3,322, customs duty worth €317 and VAT work €754.

Klymenko’s legal aid, Christopher Chircop, put forward a request for bail based on the presumption of innocence. Prosecuting inspector Antonovich Muscat objected to this, arguing that the accused had no ties to Malta and that he believed that the accused did not have any money.

The court heard how the accused told officers that he had booked a hotel room for one week in Cospicua.

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, presiding over the case, cited a fear of absconding and a lack of trustworthiness for denying bail.

The case will continue at a later stage.