Border guards detain a group of men pretending to be military in Odesa region

Servicemen of the Podil detachment detained five residents of different regions of Ukraine who were heading towards the Transnistrian segment of the Ukrainian-Moldovan border in Odesa region.

This was reported by the press center of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

Operatives found that the men were guided by the instructions of the organizer - the administrator of the telegram channel. On his advice, they purchased military uniforms: camouflage, boots and backpacks to be less noticeable.

For organizing the smuggling to neighboring Moldova, the administrator received from 10 to 12 thousand US dollars from each client on a crypto wallet.

Reports of administrative offenses were drawn up against residents of Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, and Kirovohrad regions under Article 204-1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of Ukraine "Illegal crossing or attempt to illegally cross the state border of Ukraine." The cases were sent to court.

In September, police officers detained a man in Odesa region on suspicion of organizing a channel for smuggling people liable for military service abroad. When asked by law enforcement officers to present documents for verification, the driver of the car actually provided an official ID of a prosecutor from one of the departments of the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office, and presented his two passengers as witnesses who accompanied him to be present during the procedural actions.

If proven guilty in court, the man faces a maximum of nine years in prison with disqualification to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years and confiscation of property.

At the request of the investigators, the court imposed a pre-trial restraint in the form of detention.

Кирило Бойко