Former Lviv Customs Officer Avoids Prison in Border-Crossing Scheme
The Starosambirskyi District Court of Lviv Region sentenced former Lviv customs officer Serhiy Pysk and his accomplice for a scheme to illegally transport tax evaders abroad. They used other people's passports for this. Both managed to avoid prison, and they must remit a total of UAH 1.1 million to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The Tesla Model S, which was used to transport the tax evaders, was also confiscated as state revenue.
As indicated in the verdicts published in the court registry in November 2026, Serhiy Pysko was an inspector of the customs clearance department No. 2 of the Nyzhankovychi customs post and in late 2025 organized a scheme to illegally smuggle men abroad through the Nyzhankovychi-Malkhovychi checkpoint, with the entry of other people's passport data into the system. The customs officer involved a border guard and another accomplice, who was a driver, in the scheme.
Law enforcement officials reported that while crossing the border, participants in the scheme swapped clients' passports for those of pensioners, in particular, the customs officer used the passport of his 70-year-old deceased father, as well as the passport of a 77-year-old relative of the driver. According to law enforcement officials, at least three men, including a military man in the North-West Frontier Province, illegally crossed the border with Poland.
After the scheme was exposed, the customs officer resigned from his job. The court sentenced Serhiy Pysek and his accomplice Roman Podufal, who was the driver. Both entered into plea agreements with the prosecutor. Both cases were heard by Judge Solomiya Ivasenko.
Serhiy Pyska was sentenced to 5 years in prison with deprivation of the right to hold positions in state authorities, revenue and duties authorities (customs authorities), as well as other positions related to the performance of the functions of a representative of the authorities and the performance of organizational and managerial or administrative and economic functions in the customs authorities of the State Customs Service for 3 years. However, he was released from serving the main sentence with a three-year probationary period.
The former customs officer must transfer UAH 500,000 to the Armed Forces of Ukraine within 30 days from the date of the announcement of the verdict, and UAH 266,000 of the bail paid for him will also be donated to the military.
Roman Podufalo was also sentenced to 5 years in prison, but without deprivation of the right to engage in certain activities. He was released from prison with a two-year probationary period. He must also transfer 200 thousand UAH to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and 149.7 thousand UAH of the bail paid for him will also be transferred to the military.
The court also imposed a special confiscation order on a Tesla Model S used to transport the evaders abroad. The car belongs to Roman Podufalyi's wife. Both sentences can still be appealed.
Let us remind you that Serhiy Pysko is a figure in the EBK database.
We also previously reported that the AC of the HACC confirmed the verdict sentencing former Volyn Regional Council deputy Valentyn Koshelnyk to 3.5 years in prison for abuse of influence .
