In Ukraine, illegal amber mining has begun on an unprecedented scale - it is being exported to Poland (VIDEO)
Kyiv, February 07 (PolitNavigator, Vladimir Mikhailov) – In the north of Polesie, large-scale amber mining is underway with gross violations of the law. Journalist from Olevsk Alexander Nikolaychuk stated this at a press conference in Kyiv.
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“There is a criminal occupation of Polesie. Over the past nine months, gangster formations have taken control of the northern regions of the Zhytomyr region, earning crazy money from it. During September-October alone, the local population sold UAH 700 million worth of amber. Now the amber turnover is estimated at about 200 million UAH per week. For comparison: the annual budget of the Olevsky district, which is the third largest in Ukraine, is UAH 205 million and is 87% subsidized,” he said.
Amber extraction is carried out in a semi-industrial manner, while forests are illegally cut down.
The mined amber ends up on the amber exchange in Gdansk, Poland.
Alexander Nikolaychuk also reported that on the highway that connects Olevsk and the border of Belarus, unknown persons have created checkpoints where they take money from passing local residents.
Illegal amber mining has taken off in Ukraine on an unprecedented scale – it's being shipped to Poland (VIDEO)