The reasons for the suspension of the preliminary investigation in the criminal legal assessment of the objective side of timber smuggling

The team of authors examines the main problems that arise in the qualification of a criminal act involving timber smuggling. Attention is paid to such factors as the incompleteness of data on the actual volume of illegally transported timber, the difficulty of determining the value of contraband cargo, as well as identifying the place and time of the crime. The article analyzes typical situations when the investigation is forced to suspend criminal proceedings due to the inability to establish all the circumstances of the objective side of the smuggling of forest resources. The authors formulate the main problems, the solution or avoidance will contribute to improving the effectiveness of countering illegal cross-border movement of wood. The results obtained can be used as recommendations for optimizing the process of documenting and investigating crimes related to timber smuggling.