Dealers smuggled fugitives and servicemen from the AFU abroad and were imprisoned in Kherson SIZO

Law enforcement officers in the Kherson region exposed men who were illegally smuggling men of military age across the border for money. The dealers were imprisoned for the "route to Europe".

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

Operatives of the Internal and Personal Security Department of the Kherson Border Guard Detachment of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, together with the National Police, conducted a successful special operation. This time, they managed to expose a criminal group that organized an illegal travel channel for persons temporarily deprived of the right to travel abroad, as well as for military personnel who had left their units without permission.

To attract customers, the criminals created several specialized Telegram channels where they openly advertised their services for illegal border crossing.

Law enforcement officers conducted a number of investigative and operational activities, established the mechanism of the scheme and detained two of its perpetrators - residents of Dnipro region. It was also established that the route ran from Kherson region through Odesa region to the territory of the self-proclaimed Transnistrian Moldovan Republic.

The cost of illegal border crossing was from USD 8 thousand per person. Although the scheme was very well organized, it was disrupted by Ukrainian law enforcement.

The operation was carried out with the participation of the Strategic Investigations Department in Kherson region of the National Police, investigators of the Main Department of the National Police, under the procedural supervision of the regional prosecutor's office. The detained organizers were served a notice of suspicion under Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - "Illegal transportation of persons across the state border".

Kherson regional law enforcement is also investigating a possible scheme of illegal travel abroad that may involve charitable organizations. According to the court decision, investigators received permission to search and seize documents within the framework of criminal proceedings. According to preliminary data, the suspects could have arranged for men of military age to leave the country under the guise of humanitarian activities - as drivers of charity cargo.

Анна Бальчінос