The Basmanny Court of Moscow sent two high-ranking officials from the Federal Customs Service to a pre-trial detention center until May 22 – Alexandra Beglova and Alexander Aleev. On Thursday, March 23, they were caught red-handed in Moscow while receiving almost 4 million rubles from two entrepreneurs. The amount of the bribe is assessed as a particularly large amount. Businessmen who tried to buy the services of high-ranking customs officers will be placed under house arrest. On Friday, two more employees of the Federal Customs Service were arrested for a similar violation – already in St. Petersburg. Experts interviewed by Izvestia are sure that there is a need to introduce new forms of combating corruption crimes – for example, all property of bribe-takers should be confiscated.
High-ranking customs officers met the day before with two entrepreneurs, and during the transfer of $50,000 (about 3.8 million rubles), all four were detained by the FSB. The essence of the “deal” has not yet been specified.
Izvestia.Ru, 03/24/2023, “The general and colonel of the Federal Customs Service were detained for a bribe of $50,000.”: A bribe in the amount of $ 50 thousand (about 3.8 million rubles) was intended to be transferred by two entrepreneurs, one of them, presumably, is a former employee of the customs anti-corruption unit. At the time of the “deal” all four were detained. What this amount was intended for remains to be seen. — Inset K.ru
Criminal cases were initiated against Beglov under Part 6 of Art. 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Receiving a bribe on an especially large scale”) and paragraph b, part 3 of Art. 291.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Mediation in bribery on a large scale”). Aleev is charged with Part 6 of Art. 290 (“Receiving a bribe on an especially large scale”) and part 5 of Art. 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“Receiving a bribe on a large scale”).
The security forces conducted searches at workplaces, apartments and country houses of the suspects. More than 40 million rubles were seized there, as well as documents, information media and expensive items, in particular watches.
The fact of Alexander Beglov’s detention was also confirmed by the press service of the Central Customs Administration. Investigations are ongoing, they added.
One of the businessmen who handed over the money to the customs officers was sent under house arrest. It turned out to be Dmitry Krasnogorsky. Another businessman, Artem Berezhnoy, was arrested until May 22. The meeting, at the request of the investigation, was held behind closed doors.
On the same day, March 23, in St. Petersburg, Alexander Martynov, head of the customs clearance and control department of the Electronic Declaration Center, and Elena Salman, chief state customs inspector of the clearance and control department of the Baltic Post of the North-Western Department, were detained for a bribe of 300 thousand rubles in St. Petersburg. On Thursday, an employee of the Federal Customs Service from the Volga region also came under investigation.
seductive service
Customs has always been in a zone of increased corruption attractiveness, Kirill Kabanov, a member of the Presidential Council for Human Rights (HRC), chairman of the National Anti-Corruption Committee, noted in a conversation with Izvestia.
– Even before the reorganization of the State Customs Committee (SCC) into the Federal Customs Service, there were several high-profile criminal cases involving representatives of the department. For example, in 1994, a case related to the National Sports Foundation was investigated, where one of the defendants was a representative of the State Customs Committee. After that, there was a case in 1995-1996 – the history of the smuggling of alcohol and electronics with the participation of customs representatives. And in the 2000s, there was a “furniture business” – the smuggling of Italian furniture, because of which there was a conflict between law enforcement agencies and customs officers. And you can list such cases endlessly,” the expert said.
Customs is one of those structures where they can offer a bribe for almost everything. The department is engaged in the passage of goods, goods and items across the state border, reminded the criminologist, a former officer in the fight against organized crime Mikhail Ignatov.
– There are many temptations that can involve an FCS employee in a scandal. The latest cases involve high-ranking officials. Why? Because the higher a person’s position, the more opportunities he has. And of course, the higher the position, the greater the amount of the bribe, the expert argues.
In his opinion, the most effective method of struggle will be the confiscation of property, the value of which exceeds the amount received, the expert believes.
Now, for taking a bribe on a large scale by an official, a fine of 2 to 4 million rubles or imprisonment from 7 to 12 years is provided, Yekaterina Tyutyunnikova, a lawyer for the ICA Centryurservis, told Izvestiya.
– For mediation in bribery – imprisonment for a term of 7 to 12 years with a fine. If the size is simply large, then imprisonment can be for a period of 5 to 10 years with a fine, she clarified.
Businessmen who gave a bribe to customs officers face imprisonment for a term of 7 to 12 years, the lawyer concluded.
career post
According to open sources, General Alexander Beglov, deputy head of the Central Customs Administration, began his service in the FCS in 2001. He was appointed to the post of inspector of the department of advanced customs technologies of the Main Directorate of Organization of Control. Later he worked as deputy head of the customs post, head of the post, deputy head of the organizational and inspection service department, deputy head of the federal customs revenue service of the CTU. Since October 2015, he has been appointed to the position of Deputy Head of the Central Customs Administration.
There is little information about Colonel Alexander Aleev. It is known that he took the post of head of the Center for Electronic Declaration of the Central Excise Customs from February 2019 – that was when the center was opened.
“Ren TV”, 03/24/2023, “What is known about high-profile detentions in the ranks of the FCS”: Beglov’s colleague and namesake, Aleev, does not have many merits, but, judging by official declarations, his property is much more. A business-class foreign car, apartments, large plots of land, for which, probably, I saved not only from my salary. — Inset K.ru
The excise CED was created for the remote declaration of goods by legal entities and entrepreneurs. Among his powers is the implementation of customs clearance, that is, “customs clearance” and “customs clearance” of any excisable goods. In particular, alcohol, tobacco products, drugs, vehicles, petroleum products and others. Transportation can be made by any means of transport.
As part of the customs, there are 17 posts located in four federal districts: Central, North-Western, Southern and on the territory of the Free Port of Vladivostok.