On Tuesday, it was announced that over recent months, the Ukrainian Secret Service (SBU) launched an undercover investigation into corrupt border crossing officials demanding bribes from tourists entering and leaving Ukraine, especially Israelis visiting religious sites.
After the investigation was opened, border officials and police officers were caught red-handed illegally collecting money from tourists, including Chassidim on their way to Uman. The culprits were arrested and criminal proceedings have been initiated against them.
According to the statement of the Ukrainian security services, it is suspected that after Rosh Hashanah, when chassidim were crossing the Ukrainian/Moldovan border to catch flights back to Israel, corrupt border officials purposely detained tourists, deliberately and unjustifiably delaying them at customs and border control posts by searching their documents, personal belongings, clothing, and luggage. Officials also unjustifiably carried out searches of vehicles, taxis, and buses in order to extort the passengers and force them to pay bribes of $150 to $500 and even more per vehicle.
