RESPONSIBILITY AS A PRIORITY TOOL FOR COMBATING SMUGGLING

Abstract

The article outlines the existing types of liability for smuggling, describes the current state of damage caused by their presence in modern society. Reveals the author's assessment and position on the need to clarify the content of certain categories of the conceptual apparatus, which is devoted to the degree of responsibility for offenses that have the features of smuggling. The research contains the author's proposal to introduce into the Criminal Code of Ukraine the conceptual categories of «criminal liability for smuggling», includes a justification for this action. Attention is paid to the existing legislative initiatives on combating smuggling and corruption during customs clearance of goods, their content is revealed. The author's vision of improving the situation with the reduction of smuggling crimes on the basis of the proposed proposals is presented. The chosen direction of the research is relevant as it is aimed not only at outlining the key aspects of criminal liability for smuggling, but above all at developing certain measures to improve the situation at customs. From a scientific point of view, the study needs modernization in terms of clarifying the content of certain categories of the conceptual apparatus of the subject of study. The conclusions of the study are as follows. First, there is a fairly modernized legal framework in Ukraine, which discloses the degree of responsibility of persons who have committed a criminal or administrative offense related to smuggling. Secondly, the legislator clearly distinguished between the measures of criminal and administrative liability of persons who participated in smuggling operations, and it is important that the legislator defined the boundaries of the transition from administrative to criminal liability. Thirdly, the research indicated the expediency of clarifying the content of certain categories of the conceptual apparatus of the subject of study, namely the concepts of «criminal liability for smuggling» (a type of legal liability that gives rise to criminal relations between special authorities and persons who violated customs rules that have signs of smuggling in particularly large amounts, which is individualized in the conviction of the court) and «administrative liability for smuggling» (a type of legal liability that arises during administrative relations between legal entities in the field of violation of customs rules, which have signs of smuggling and are subject to administrative penalties by administrative jurisdiction). Fourth, the authors propose to include in the measures to reduce the level of smuggling: increase the material security of border guards and customs officers, equip «problem» areas of the border with a system of covert round-the-clock surveillance, observation and professionally trained staff, etc.