The organiser of a scheme involving the illegal departure of men for 23,000 dollars has been arrested in Kyiv
A resident of the Kyiv region organised a scheme to smuggle men of conscription age out of Ukraine whilst martial law was in force. According to the investigation, he sought out clients and offered to help them cross the border outside official channels.
The suspect claimed to have corrupt connections and to be able to arrange unhindered passage through controlled sections of the border towards the Republic of Moldova. The cost of such services was $23,000 per person. The investigation established at least five instances of such crossings being organised.
Operatives from the Strategic Investigations Department of the National Police in Kyiv, together with investigators from the Dnipro Police Department, detained the man in accordance with Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. As part of the investigation, a series of authorised searches were carried out in the capital.
During the investigative operations, cash, mobile phones, forged and suspicious documents – including blank ID cards and certificates – as well as weapons, a hunting carbine and a shotgun with ammunition were seized.
The organiser was notified of the suspicion under Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine regarding the illegal smuggling of persons across the state border. A preventive measure was imposed on him.
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing under the procedural supervision of the Dnipro District Prosecutor’s Office in Kyiv. Law enforcement officers are identifying those involved and possible accomplices.
The offence carries a penalty of up to nine years’ imprisonment.
In accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven in accordance with the law and established by a court conviction.
