Police are allowed to keep close tabs on Ukrainian customs officers as part of experiment

As part of experiment, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has adopted resolution No. 479 as of June 20 "On the implementation of a pilot project to create conditions for preventing delinquency in payment of customs duties", expanding the powers of the National Police to control colleagues from the SFS, - Bukvy reports.

"The police have the right to stay in the customs control zones at checkpoints through the state border and in other places of the customs territory of Ukraine, where the bodies of the State Fiscal Service carry out customs formalities, in order to identify the facts of violation of customs rules", - the text of the Resolution says.

Moreover, employees of the National Police and officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs gained access to "Inspector-2006" automated system of customs. In addition, the Cabinet of Ministers ordered the MIA and SFS to submit monthly reports on the experiment's progress, starting from September 1 of this year, as well as proposals on legislative changes based on the results of the experiment.

The document also defines the period of the experiment - until December 31, 2018.

The resolution was published in Uryadovy Kuryer newspaper and has already entered into force.

On June 20, Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman listed criminal schemes at customs, with which the Government intends to "fight" with the support of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Prosecutor General's Office, State Fiscal Service and National Police. In addition, the Cabinet of Ministers intends to invite the Verkhovna Rada to criminalize the smuggling of goods.