At the end of 2020, the Security Service of Ukraine conducted searches at the Odesa customs, on the territory of several companies, as well as at the place of residence of suspects who were engaged in smuggling of clothes and shoes from Turkey and other countries to Ukraine. In addition, they did not pay taxes and laundered criminal money. Law enforcement officers found that Viktor Sherman, Seyar Kurshutov, various customs officers, and a number of other persons were involved in criminal schemes. According to the preliminary estimation, the state lost tens of millions of dollars annually.
According to the well-known Ukrainian journalists Yuriy Burusov and Yevgeny Prlinsky, Viktor Sherman positions himself as an Odesa businessman as well as the head and owner of several companies. According to journalists and law enforcement officers, Viktor Sherman was responsible for collecting and laundering dirty money received for smuggling goods at the Odessa customs.
It is worth noting that Viktor Sherman specialized in shipping cargo and importing clothing mainly from China. Local media call him one of the partners of another well-known smuggler Vadim Alperin.
Another interesting thing is the fact that the entrepreneur is the founder of the OOO “TRIEXPO” forwarding company that operates in the port of Odesa. The smuggling of goods also took place in the port of Ilyichevsk. Companies belonging to Viktor Sherman appear in the cases of the Odessa prosecutor’s office on the illegal use of the property of the Ilyichevsk Commercial Sea Port with the help of the company’s officials, as well as smuggling.
Law enforcement officers found out that criminal money was legalized through a number of firms, including companies associated with his wife, Diana Sherman. One of them is the OOO” Fabrika Turizma” from Odessa, which belongs to the Sherman family (Diana and Victor). This travel company cooperates with a number of international partners, including such well-known brands as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, BELMOND, DIAMONDCLUB, and others.
It is also worth noting that the money from the smuggling of Turkish goods is laundered and legalized through the sales of BVLGARI jewelry since Diana and Viktor Sherman own boutiques and shops selling these and other jewelry in Kyiv and other cities. At the same time, the owners, and managers of the international BVLGARI network are clearly not aware of this. It is worth noting that a share of the criminal money may go to the international BVLGARI network. The same model is also used in the Body Tho’ Spa Center, which is also owned and operated by Diana Sherman.
Journalists learned that Ukrainian law enforcement officers will send requests to the United States and Europe to their colleagues about money laundering and their withdrawal to foreign accounts and companies.
