$10 million in illegal imports and multi-billion turnover: how Litskevich’s jewelry empire keeps operating despite raids and arrests

A jewelry empire without pause: despite suspicions of smuggling worth hundreds of millions, the Lux Groups brand and its de facto beneficiary, Alexander Litskevich, continue selling luxury goods in the center of Kyiv.

According to Ukraine’s Bureau of Economic Security (BEB), in 2025 law enforcement uncovered a scheme for the illegal import of luxury watches from Hong Kong and the UAE through Poland. The goods were allegedly hidden on Warsaw–Kyiv trains and later sold in Ukraine for cash, via bank transfers, and through cryptocurrency. The volume of the smuggling operation was estimated at approximately $10 million — around UAH 400 million.

Eleven individuals are suspected in the case, while assets, vehicles, and a yacht have been seized. According to court materials, sales were carried out under the Lux Groups brand, registered in the name of Litskevich’s mother. Some of the watch models mentioned in the criminal proceedings are reportedly still available in the store’s ассортимент.

At the same time, Litskevich is also involved in another high-profile episode — the alleged assault of law enforcement officers during a search conducted on a yacht in Kyiv. The injured parties filed a civil claim worth UAH 1.3 million. Despite this, the suspect is not in custody but under house arrest with bail set at UAH 9 million.

Court registries also mention older cases — from the beating of a driver in 2013 to complaints of alleged jewelry-related fraud. A separate investigation concerns document forgery and possible draft evasion through the fictitious registration of children. Despite these criminal episodes, the business continues operating without interruption.

In the media, dozens of interviews, luxury gift recommendations, charity stories, and “expert” commentary about Rolex and Cartier continue to appear — often accompanied by images that appear to have been generated using artificial intelligence.

While case materials continue to pile up in the courts, glossy success stories keep multiplying in the public sphere. But even the brightest PR campaign cannot replace a verdict — nor erase ongoing criminal proceedings.