During the season, law enforcement officers seized hundreds of kilograms of radioactive berries
In the Chernobyl exclusion zone for the summer season of illegal gatherers of berries the police and border guards seized hundreds of pounds of blueberries. Berries collected in the contaminated area, collectors planned to sell. And the lion’s share of these berries comes to the markets of Kiev, where it was a treat sold at the price from 110 UAH per kilogram. For many people, is a good income, for which they travel hundreds of miles, often not even from neighboring areas. And people are not afraid of what lies in the exclusion zone without proper authorization is illegal. And berries they collect and sell – simply hazardous to health.
As told “Today” head of the Department of police zone Chernobyl GU NP in the Kiev region, Jan Bielanski, during the present season the police had identified 17 cases of illegal picking blueberries.
“These facts are brought in ERDR. Volumes were different – some had to gather up about 5 kg, others – up to 300 kg, says Jan Bielanski. The most ambitious was the fact when he was detained a few people with 300 kg of berries.
Family business
How told the police, recently the police detained two brothers who arrived in the Chernobyl exclusion zone of the Rivne region specifically to collect blueberries. Men, instead of having to pay a small amount and easy to collect blueberries in the border forests of Belarus or in the territory of Belarus, has decided that it is possible to do it illegally, where “competition” is smaller and more berries. And drive for sale in Kiev closer than from the Rivne region. Because the goods are perishable, require special delivery.
“Brothers gathered 300 kg of blueberries in order to sell the berries. The fact was documented, the information has been entered in eRDR, a criminal proceedings under article 267-1 “Violation of requirements of radiation safety” (if the fault of the violators will be proven in court, they face fines from 850 UAH to 1360 UAH, or restriction of freedom till 3 years or imprisonment up to 3 years – Ed.)”, – told Bielanski.
According to Bielanska, offenders do not have time to resist, because they were caught off guard.
As we found out, the brothers live in the village Drozdyn, Rivne region. Journalists “Today” has tried to find people gathering berries and wonder what prompted them to come such a far way for illegal fishing. The forests of their homeland full of blueberries. Earnings is so great?
