11 people under suspicion, but the boutique is operating: Alexander Litskevych continues selling smuggled goods at the Kiev Lux Groups boutique

21:22, 09.02.2026

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11 people under suspicion, but the boutique is operating: Alexander Litskevych continues selling smuggled goods at the Kiev Lux Groups boutique

Although the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine conducted large-scale searches and charged members of a criminal group involved in smuggling jewelry and watches for subsequent sale in Kiev, the Lux Groups boutique continues to operate. The organizer of the scheme and his accomplices have not been detained.

High-profile case

The activities of the Kiev-based Lux Groups boutique became a nationwide scandal in October 2025. At the time, the Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine announced the exposure of a criminal group that organized a scheme to smuggle jewelry, Rolex, Cartier, Audemars Piguet watches, and other well-known luxury brands across the border.

Economic Security Bureau detectives established that a group of individuals purchased luxury goods in the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, and other locations, then transported them by air to Poland, after which the items were handed over to train conductors operating on the international Warsaw–Kiev route.

In this way, watches and jewelry were brought into Ukraine while avoiding customs controls and were later sold at a Kiev boutique — primarily for cash payments in foreign currency, as well as cryptocurrency.

The group consisted of 11 people, all of whom were served with notices of suspicion. Law enforcement officers conducted searches on trains, at the store, and at the apartments of the suspects, seizing smuggled luxury brand products and $800,000 in cash.

Избиение детективов на яхте и миллионы на крипту: элитный киевский бутик Lux Groups ведет бизнес даже после разоблачения преступной группировки heiqziquiqhekmp qhiukiuiqxhglv

The total value of the seized jewelry and watches amounted to more than $11 million.

Избиение детективов на яхте и миллионы на крипту: элитный киевский бутик Lux Groups ведет бизнес даже после разоблачения преступной группировки

Law enforcement materials indicate that the sale of smuggled goods through the boutique amounted to $200,000–500,000 per month. However, this only covers the transactions that were documented.

Luxury goods through the shadows

The appeal of Lux Groups for VIP clients (among whom, according to reports, were also members of parliament) was that goods could be purchased using cryptocurrency or cash. No receipts. No taxes. No declarations. This made it virtually impossible to trace the origin of the funds or even confirm the fact of the purchase.

According to a source from law enforcement cited by OBOZ.UA, a boutique operating under such a scheme for many years could not have functioned without serious protection.

The sense of impunity went so far that the organizer of the criminal group (believed to be Alexander Litskevych, although officially Lux Groups is owned by Vladislav Ruzhnitsky) and his associates attacked Economic Security Bureau detectives (including a female officer) and a Security Service of Ukraine operative, assaulting them.

According to OBOZ.UA sources, the incident took place in June last year aboard the Abacus Marine vessel at the Mayachok yacht club, where law enforcement officers arrived to conduct a search.

The case is currently being heard by the Holosiivskyi District Court of Kiev, with the next hearing scheduled for March 18.

Business continues to thrive

Sources say that none of the members of the criminal group are currently being held in pre-trial detention. The organizer himself, Alexander Litskevych, quickly paid bail (the prosecution requested 100 million hryvnias, but the court decided that... nine million would be sufficient). In particular, Litskevych has often been seen at Miastoria in Solomianskyi district wearing his favorite Dior Panama hat.

Meanwhile, the Lux Groups boutique, through which the smuggled goods were sold, continues to operate.

Activity on social media, particularly Instagram, has not decreased at all. Customers are still being attracted with promises of "transparent terms." Even the pinned post outlining payment options, including cryptocurrency payments, has not been edited.

The Lux Groups Telegram channel provides even more details: for example, on February 7, the company posted an offer to sell a ROLEX Tiger Daytona for $210,000, and on January 28 — a Vacheron Constantin watch for $197,000.