In Odesa, former casino organizer tried to smuggle out a person liable for military service

Employees of the State Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the SBU Internal Security Service, exposed an attempt to organize the illegal transfer of a person liable for military service to the Republic of Moldova in Odesa.

This was reported by the SBI press service.

According to the investigation, a local entrepreneur, who had previously been involved in illegal gambling activities, decided to make money by smuggling men abroad. Through his friends, he found a client and offered to help with traveling to Chisinau for $18,500.

According to the agreement, the conscript was to be taken across the border by car without proper inspection. The plan was to involve an official of one of the law enforcement agencies. They also promised to assist with the preparation of the necessary documents.

On February 12, 2026, the entrepreneur was detained while receiving payment. He was notified of suspicion of illegal transportation of persons across the state border of Ukraine. The sanction of the article provides for up to 9 years in prison.

The court imposed on the suspect a pre-trial restraint in the form of detention with an alternative bail of UAH 1 million.

Earlier, employees of the State Bureau of Investigation completed a pre-trial investigation against the head of one of the departments of border guard inspectors in Odesa region. The investigation established that in the summer of 2025, the official set up an illegal part-time job using his official position. Together with an accomplice, he found people willing to leave through social media. The code signal was a message about the availability of tickets to a football game.

Earlier in Odesa, one of the participants in the illegal migration scheme through fake marriages was arrested. The police suspect that not only a group of intermediaries, but also an official from the Civil Registry Office is behind the scam. The investigation found that the participants in the scheme were looking for foreigners who wanted to legalize their stay in Ukraine and recruited Ukrainian citizens who were willing to agree to a fake marriage for money. According to the law enforcement, an unidentified employee of the Prymorskyi Department of the Odesa Civil Registry Office played a special role, facilitating the rapid processing of the necessary documents in exchange for a bribe.

Кирило Бойко