Main points
- The Embassy of Ukraine in Israel has filed complaints against companies suspected of importing wheat from the occupied territories with the police and financial control bodies.
- The Ukrainian side requests a laboratory analysis of the grain and the seizure of ship documentation to establish the origin of the grain.
Israel bought stolen grain / Photo Unsplash
The Embassy of Ukraine in Israel has contacted law enforcement agencies over suspicions of importing wheat from the temporarily occupied territories. The case involves Israeli companies and a complex scheme for the sea transshipment of grain.
Ukraine announced illegal import of grain from occupied territories
The Ukrainian Embassy in Tel Aviv has filed official complaints with the Israeli police and financial control authorities regarding the activities of Zenziper and Dizengoff Trading, United24 reports. They are suspected of importing wheat that the Russians may have illegally exported from the occupied Ukrainian territories.
The appeal was sent to the Lahav 433 crime unit, as well as to the Israeli Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing Authority. The Ukrainian side claims possible facts of document falsification, fraud, and false declaration of the origin of the grain.
According to diplomats, Dizengoff Trading received almost 43.8 thousand tons of grain. At the same time, about 16.5 thousand tons of cargo may originate from the occupied Ukrainian territories.
Ukraine requires verification of grain origin
According to the embassy, the scheme involved loading grain at the ports of Berdyansk and Sevastopol. The products were then transported via intermediate vessels and reloaded onto a large bulk carrier in the Kavkaz berth area.
The Ukrainian side is also asking Israeli authorities to conduct a laboratory analysis of the grain to establish its origin based on soil markers characteristic of eastern Ukraine. In addition, diplomats are insisting on the seizure of shipping documents to establish the entire supply chain.
Following the allegations, Dizengoff Trading announced a suspension of new purchases of Russian wheat, although it denied violating international rules. Meanwhile, Zenziper refused to unload another vessel that also raised suspicions, after which it left the Israeli coast.
Due to the risk of sanctions: Israeli importer refused grain stolen by Russians
-
Israeli importer “Centsiper” refused to accept a suspicious grain shipment due to the risk of sanctions.
-
The grain may have been exported from Ukraine illegally, which has raised concerns among Israeli importers about sanctions restrictions.
The Prosecutor General's Office emphasizes: the vessel's entry into neutral waters does not stop the investigation. Ukraine continues to monitor the movement of related vessels, is working to identify all participants in the scheme, and will use international mechanisms to seize property and bring those responsible to justice.