Ukrainian entrepreneur and founder of the ATB supermarket chain, Dmytro Karchuk, has returned to Ukrainian territory after 17 days of detention in a Polish investigative isolation center. He announced this himself on his Facebook profile, confirming the fact of his release. The incident, which began with his detention at the Polish border, ended as swiftly as it began; however, the details of the legal collision remain a subject of careful study by the businessman himself and his lawyers.
Chronology of Detention and Release
The story began on July 28, 2026, when Karchuk was stopped at the Budomir border crossing point. The reason for the detention was a request from German law enforcement agencies, who had issued a European arrest warrant for him. Subsequently, it turned out that the businessman was transferred to a Polish detention center, where he spent nearly three weeks. On August 16, 2026, news of his release and return to Ukraine became known. The entrepreneur himself describes the situation as "sudden" and notes that he now intends to thoroughly investigate the mechanisms that led to his arrest.
Reasons: From Electric Bicycle Theft to Identity Theft
The official version of the German investigation states that Dmytro Karchuk is suspected of fraud related to the theft of 171 electric bicycles worth more than 126,000 euros. According to the German prosecutor's office, the incident allegedly occurred in 2024, when a man used fake transport documents and impersonated an employee of a transport company. However, representatives of the CEO Club Ukraine and the businessman's close circle have put forward an alternative version: it may be a case of fraud involving personal data. Criminals could have stolen Karchuk's documents to legitimize the stolen cargo, leading to the erroneous detention of the real owner of the surname.
System Assessment and Personal Conclusions
In his address to the public, Karchuk focused not only on the fact of his release but also on the systemic problems he encountered. He noted that during his imprisonment, he learned a lot "about the system that chews people up for months, even when their guilt is not proven." The businessman emphasized that he is now capable of acting and intends to find out exactly which documents were used and whether this was a coincidence or a conspiracy. He expressed special gratitude to his wife Valentyna Leus, the Consulate of Ukraine in Lublin, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, and the team of lawyers from Arzinger Law Office.
