"Contrabass": unmusical background for social upheaval
Any social upheaval, whether it is a decline in the standard of living or the political fragmentation of the country into new states that are sometimes incompetent (which still hags behind us), is accompanied by an intensification of some phenomena. Moreover, the phenomena do not stop in the modern world, neither during the war, nor during the world. One of these phenomena is “double bass”, or, in the world, contraband. Even Kurds in the Middle East are integrated into black smuggling trading schemes, despite claims to put it mildly to almost all the major players in the region, from Turks to Saudis. The double bass itself may be weapons, narcotic, grocery, but whatever. In addition, smuggling, on the one hand, is a threat to the market, on the other hand, is the only opportunity for its individual members to exist.
But let us leave the Middle East, our video conferencing is well-versed with it. Pay attention to our long-suffering neighbor. Much has been said about the official trade relations of Donbass with Ukraine and Russia, but the double bass from that territory remains in the shadows.
As the author managed to find out, smuggling from the territory called Ukraine has its own specifics. It will not be about large “okologosudarstvennye” channels, which are controlled by the big uncles in Kiev and through which there is an active mass trade in weapons and other “household items” of the black market. I want to touch on the issue of atomic smuggling channels, personal channels, individual entrepreneurs' channels. These channels are mostly filled with more "peaceful" products, but sometimes not at all harmless.
What is being taken? From the territory of Ukraine before the war, as I became aware, there was a double bass production, in a society known as consumer goods, i.e. galoshes, sneakers and various garments, even (attention!) wedding dresses. But the cherry on this cake was the Argentine and other South American Buyvolyatin. According to the assurances of knowledgeable citizens, I quote, "this rubbish did not melt even for a day, remaining stone." The safety of this product, which after defrosting, seems to have had to disintegrate into atoms, is a huge question. So we could all join the Latin American “kitchen”, without knowing it, by buying sausages and wieners. However, it is not a secret.
But these channels are not one-way, therefore, smuggling from Russia also goes in the opposite direction. This smuggling, however, is much more technological. Very often it is the whole range of auto parts, accessories, car paints and various tools.
The way of smuggling itself is almost universal for the whole of Ukraine, whether it is the border with Poland, Belarus or Romania, however, the contents of the goods are different in each case. The method is an algorithm for the following actions. In a quiet evening, when a self-respecting Ukrainian should hide fat, in a certain place going from 6 to 8 sports trained guys. At the same time, the “scout”, having certain contacts at the border, leaves ahead to make sure that there are no sudden happenings, checks and raids at the border point.
Having received the "green light", the group goes to a meeting with a standard twenty-ton wagon. Business people drive up as close as possible to the border, but in order not to attract too much attention. At the agreed point, a car already awaits them, most often it is the popular and highly passable UAZ-452 (“loaf”, or, as it is also called, “pill”). The 5-6 man and the maximum amount of cargo are stuffed into the "loaf". The wagon remains in place, and the newly equipped procession moves directly to the border.
The place of border crossing is always prepared in advance. Somewhere in the swampy and difficult terrain, footbridges are constructed of planks, wooden pallets, old doors and other things. Fighters of risky business dismount and already manually transfer the load from the car across the border. On the other side at a safe distance are their colleagues. As soon as the "loaf" is empty, the citizens-offenders remain in place, and the car returns to the meeting point with the wagon, where the remaining "businessmen" again fill the car with goods.
Despite the seemingly lengthy process and some kind of non-maturity, the entire transfer of cargo takes no more than 5-6 hours. Once again I remind you that the team consists of sports trained guys, they are not loaders from the supermarket or very specific comrades from the market with two smoke breaks between three dinners. The team works quickly, smoothly, without chatter, everyone knows their role. At the same time, at least before the war, the ordinary participant received about 500 hryvnia, and this, no matter how ridiculous, was considered very decent money.
Depending on the terrain and nature of the terrain, this method may include intermediate “stages”. For example, Transcarpathia on the border with Romania became famous for amateur scuba divers, who, dressed in wetsuits and loading boxes of contraband goods, illegally crossed the border by water. The most commonly detected goods in those areas are cigarettes, the cost of which in Romania, as an EU country, is 4-5 times higher than in Ukraine.
Transcarpathian detachment of "amateur scuba divers" is not enough ...
A visionary reader will immediately see the possibility of smuggling and more dangerous goods. However, in the first place, the cargoes thrown across the border are completely legal on the territory of Ukraine. The very delivery of any illegal goods to the border area is already a crime. Secondly, the scheme itself reduces its danger by being an open-secret. And, thirdly, to my great regret, the laws of the market are so cynical that many look at smuggling, especially of this kind, simply as a way to avoid customs casuistry, fees and competition of large retail chains. The legal way turns consumer goods into uncompetitive goods, on the other hand, more expensive goods after the so-called customs clearance makes them simply inaccessible to buyers in the Ukrainian market.
Here you can find such unprepossessing boxes in the groves near the "Square" border ...
The paradox of this state of affairs is that the people participating in these schemes are not gangsters at all or gangsters. I, of course, do not whitewash this activity. But smugglers of such an “atomic” level are ordinary workers, they all pay taxes (no matter how ridiculous), most have never been attracted by law enforcement agencies even for crossing the road in the wrong place. Just thanks to the Kiev pans, they are brought to such an extreme that they are willing to risk even for 500 hryvnia, and now, true, even less. And to reduce (only reduce) the scale of such smuggling can be stabilized by the region, and in this, apart from Russia and the young republics, no one is interested.
But let us leave the Middle East, our video conferencing is well-versed with it. Pay attention to our long-suffering neighbor. Much has been said about the official trade relations of Donbass with Ukraine and Russia, but the double bass from that territory remains in the shadows.
As the author managed to find out, smuggling from the territory called Ukraine has its own specifics. It will not be about large “okologosudarstvennye” channels, which are controlled by the big uncles in Kiev and through which there is an active mass trade in weapons and other “household items” of the black market. I want to touch on the issue of atomic smuggling channels, personal channels, individual entrepreneurs' channels. These channels are mostly filled with more "peaceful" products, but sometimes not at all harmless.
What is being taken? From the territory of Ukraine before the war, as I became aware, there was a double bass production, in a society known as consumer goods, i.e. galoshes, sneakers and various garments, even (attention!) wedding dresses. But the cherry on this cake was the Argentine and other South American Buyvolyatin. According to the assurances of knowledgeable citizens, I quote, "this rubbish did not melt even for a day, remaining stone." The safety of this product, which after defrosting, seems to have had to disintegrate into atoms, is a huge question. So we could all join the Latin American “kitchen”, without knowing it, by buying sausages and wieners. However, it is not a secret.
But these channels are not one-way, therefore, smuggling from Russia also goes in the opposite direction. This smuggling, however, is much more technological. Very often it is the whole range of auto parts, accessories, car paints and various tools.
The way of smuggling itself is almost universal for the whole of Ukraine, whether it is the border with Poland, Belarus or Romania, however, the contents of the goods are different in each case. The method is an algorithm for the following actions. In a quiet evening, when a self-respecting Ukrainian should hide fat, in a certain place going from 6 to 8 sports trained guys. At the same time, the “scout”, having certain contacts at the border, leaves ahead to make sure that there are no sudden happenings, checks and raids at the border point.
Having received the "green light", the group goes to a meeting with a standard twenty-ton wagon. Business people drive up as close as possible to the border, but in order not to attract too much attention. At the agreed point, a car already awaits them, most often it is the popular and highly passable UAZ-452 (“loaf”, or, as it is also called, “pill”). The 5-6 man and the maximum amount of cargo are stuffed into the "loaf". The wagon remains in place, and the newly equipped procession moves directly to the border.
The place of border crossing is always prepared in advance. Somewhere in the swampy and difficult terrain, footbridges are constructed of planks, wooden pallets, old doors and other things. Fighters of risky business dismount and already manually transfer the load from the car across the border. On the other side at a safe distance are their colleagues. As soon as the "loaf" is empty, the citizens-offenders remain in place, and the car returns to the meeting point with the wagon, where the remaining "businessmen" again fill the car with goods.
Despite the seemingly lengthy process and some kind of non-maturity, the entire transfer of cargo takes no more than 5-6 hours. Once again I remind you that the team consists of sports trained guys, they are not loaders from the supermarket or very specific comrades from the market with two smoke breaks between three dinners. The team works quickly, smoothly, without chatter, everyone knows their role. At the same time, at least before the war, the ordinary participant received about 500 hryvnia, and this, no matter how ridiculous, was considered very decent money.
Depending on the terrain and nature of the terrain, this method may include intermediate “stages”. For example, Transcarpathia on the border with Romania became famous for amateur scuba divers, who, dressed in wetsuits and loading boxes of contraband goods, illegally crossed the border by water. The most commonly detected goods in those areas are cigarettes, the cost of which in Romania, as an EU country, is 4-5 times higher than in Ukraine.
Transcarpathian detachment of "amateur scuba divers" is not enough ...
A visionary reader will immediately see the possibility of smuggling and more dangerous goods. However, in the first place, the cargoes thrown across the border are completely legal on the territory of Ukraine. The very delivery of any illegal goods to the border area is already a crime. Secondly, the scheme itself reduces its danger by being an open-secret. And, thirdly, to my great regret, the laws of the market are so cynical that many look at smuggling, especially of this kind, simply as a way to avoid customs casuistry, fees and competition of large retail chains. The legal way turns consumer goods into uncompetitive goods, on the other hand, more expensive goods after the so-called customs clearance makes them simply inaccessible to buyers in the Ukrainian market.
Here you can find such unprepossessing boxes in the groves near the "Square" border ...
The paradox of this state of affairs is that the people participating in these schemes are not gangsters at all or gangsters. I, of course, do not whitewash this activity. But smugglers of such an “atomic” level are ordinary workers, they all pay taxes (no matter how ridiculous), most have never been attracted by law enforcement agencies even for crossing the road in the wrong place. Just thanks to the Kiev pans, they are brought to such an extreme that they are willing to risk even for 500 hryvnia, and now, true, even less. And to reduce (only reduce) the scale of such smuggling can be stabilized by the region, and in this, apart from Russia and the young republics, no one is interested.
Information