A man from Odessa was arrested for offering to help people leave the country for $20,000

Police officers detained a 26-year-old Odessa resident for organizing the illegal smuggling of people across Ukraine’s state border as part of a premeditated conspiracy by a group of individuals.

This was reported by the press service of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Odessa region.

Law enforcement officers determined that the 26-year-old Odessa resident conspired with individuals who have not yet been identified to organize the illegal transport of men subject to military service across the border. During the course of investigative and operational activities, police documented how the young man promised an acquaintance living in the Rozdilnyanskyi district to help him travel to Moldova through an official border crossing point.

The suspect assured him that he would allegedly ensure the issuance of an exit stamp in the passport. He charged $20,000 for his service. The client transferred 3,000 hryvnias to the suspect’s card and, during a face-to-face meeting, handed over an additional $400 as an advance payment. The man was to pay the remaining amount after successfully crossing the border.

In reality, instead of using an official border crossing, the suspect took the traveler toward the border via a detour. It was then that law enforcement officers stopped the operation and detained the broker. Investigators seized cash, a cell phone, and the vehicle used to transport the client as evidence. The court placed a hold on the property.

Currently, based on a sufficient amount of evidence gathered, investigators have notified the detainee of the charges against him. Under current law, the maximum penalty for this crime is nine years in prison, with a ban on holding certain positions or engaging in certain activities for up to three years, and confiscation of property. The court ordered pretrial detention for the suspect, with the right to post bail in the amount of nearly half a million hryvnias, which he exercised.

Кирило Бойко