Police may be allowed to open parcels of Ukrainians without their knowledge: draft law is already in the Parliament

Ukrainian law enforcement officers may be granted the right to open not only citizens' correspondence but also postal items. At the same time, they will be able to seize parcels without the addressee's knowledge.

The new rule is spelled out in draft law No. 12294, which was registered in the Verkhovna Rada. It was initiated by a group of MPs, including "servants" Maksym Pavliuk, Serhii Ionushas, and Viacheslav Medianyk.

They propose to include in Article 258 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which regulates interference with private communication, a provision on the arrest, inspection, and seizure of mail at postal facilities (previously just correspondence). This will give law enforcement officers the ability to inspect:

• letters;
• postal cards;
• small packages;
• "M" bags;
• targeted mailing;
• items for the blind;
• parcels;
• EMS shipments and other material carriers of information transfer between persons.

The shipments will be able to be inspected without the person's knowledge only after they are seized on the basis of a decision of the investigating judge. It is noted that such a decision will be made in exceptional cases, for example, if there are sufficient grounds to believe that such items may contain things, documents, or information about circumstances relevant to the pre-trial investigation.

If such items are found, the investigator may confiscate them. If it is necessary to preserve the confidentiality of the seizure of postal items, the investigator may limit himself to making copies or obtaining samples. If necessary, they can be marked with special marks, equipped with technical means of control, or replaced with safe analogs.

If no items or documents important to the investigation are found, the inspected mail will be delivered to the addressee. However, a protocol is drawn up for each case of inspection, seizure, or detention of mail at postal facilities.

At the same time, postal workers must ensure the conditions for such actions and not disclose them or other information received.

"Given that the regulation of general procedures for organizing and conducting relevant covert investigative (detective) actions is inextricably linked to special legislation in the field of postal services, there is an objective need to amend certain articles of Chapter 21 of the CPC of Ukraine, in particular, the articles regulating the procedure for organizing and conducting covert investigative (detective) actions concerning postal correspondence," the authors note in the explanatory note.

As OBOZ.UA previously reported, the Ministry of Economy ordered banks to correct the terms of use of the "National Cashback" card account specified in the agreements. In particular, they should not require customers to disclose bank secrecy. In particular, if the card was opened only to receive UAH 1000 of winter support.

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