Court in Lviv fines woman for failing to declare 80 kg of chocolate

Court ruling on customs violation

The Halychtskyi District Court of the city of Lviv issued a ruling regarding Ukrainian citizen Halyna Kotsur. She was held administratively liable for failing to declare a significant batch of confectionery products. The court ordered the imposition of a fine while deciding to return the seized goods to the owner or her authorised representative.

Circumstances of the incident at the border

The incident occurred during a border crossing via the Shehyni-Medyka checkpoint in the Lviv region. In August 2026, Kotsur was travelling to Ukraine as a passenger in a Skoda Octavia. By choosing the “green corridor”, she effectively confirmed that she did not have any goods subject to written declaration and tax payment. However, customs officers, conducting a detailed inspection, discovered a cargo that significantly exceeded the established norms.

In the vehicle’s luggage compartment, 16 packs of VAN HOUTEN Professional white chocolate with a fat content of 26.4% were found. Each pack weighed 5 kg, and the total weight of the seized product was 80 kg. The estimated value of the goods was 32,000 hryvnias.

Defendant’s explanation and legal provisions

During the hearing, the woman acknowledged the chocolate as her property and explained that she had purchased it for members of her family. Meanwhile, in accordance with current Ukrainian legislation and Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 434, rules for importing food products for personal consumption allow carrying no more than 2 kg of a single type of product or one pack per person.

Size of sanctions and costs

At the court hearing, Halyna Kotsur fully admitted her guilt. The court found her guilty of committing an administrative offence under Part 3 of Article 471 of the Customs Code of Ukraine. The sanction was a fine of 5,100 hryvnias. Confiscation of the goods was not applied.

In addition to the main fine, additional funds were recovered from the violator: 318.35 hryvnias for customs storage costs and 665.6 hryvnias for the court fee.