The organizers charged 13 thousand euros for smuggling draft evaders across the border
This is reported by Kyiv24
In Kyiv, the counterintelligence officers of the Security Service of Ukraine, together with the National Police, detained the organizers of a scheme for the illegal transportation of men of conscription age out of Ukraine.
How the smuggling scheme operated
According to the investigation, a 34-year-old organizer and an accomplice arranged a route for their clients to the city of Mukachevo. From there, men trying to evade mobilization were taken to the state border and smuggled into a neighboring country outside of official crossing points.
To avoid suspicion at checkpoints, the organizers prohibited clients from taking large amounts of luggage and foreign passports. The cost of the services was 13 thousand euros per person.
“The documents for crossing the border were sent by the criminals by mail to the city where the hotel was located. There, the draft evaders picked up the documents and waited to be taken to the border with the neighboring country outside of the crossing point – through the so-called ‘green zone’,” the SBU reported.
Details of the detention and consequences
Law enforcement officers detained the organizers of the scheme in Kyiv after receiving another payment from a client. Both individuals have been charged under part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – illegal transportation of persons across the state border of Ukraine.
According to the sanctions of this article, they face up to nine years of imprisonment with confiscation of property. The court has chosen a preventive measure in the form of detention for the detainees. Additionally, the issue of further qualification of the actions of one of the suspects for illegal possession and transportation of narcotic substances is being resolved.
Currently, investigative actions are ongoing to identify other individuals who may be involved in organizing this illegal border crossing scheme.