In Odesa, police officer remains in jail for smuggling conscripts

In Odesa, the court extended the arrest of an officer of the National Police of Ukraine. He is suspected of organizing the illegal transportation of men of military age across the state border.

The decision was made by a judge of the Peresypskyi District Court of Odesa.

According to the pre-trial investigation, the policeman, aware of the restrictions on men aged 18 to 60 leaving Ukraine, decided to organize an illegal border crossing outside the checkpoints to the Republic of Moldova for a monetary reward. To implement the scheme, he engaged an intermediary who was looking for people willing to use such "services".

The investigation established that in early August 2025, one of the men sought advice on the possibility of leaving Ukraine legally. Through his friends, he was referred to an officer of the Security Police Department, who, according to the investigation, offered a border crossing option for USD 18 thousand. The suspect assured that he would organize transportation past checkpoints and border crossing points with the participation of people who allegedly have connections among border guards.

Realizing the illegal nature of the offer, the man appealed to law enforcement agencies and continued to act under their control. During August-October 2025, the parties had meetings and telephone conversations to agree on the amount and procedure for transferring funds. In the end, they agreed that part of the money would be transferred in advance and the rest on the day of the border crossing.

In October 2025, in Odesa, the suspect received USD 10 thousand from the "client" as the first part of the "reward" for organizing the illegal departure. Immediately afterwards, the police officer and his accomplice were detained by law enforcement. The policeman was served a notice of suspicion of illegal transportation of persons across the state border committed for mercenary motives by prior conspiracy. The judge extended the suspect's detention until April 4, 2026, in the Odesa pre-trial detention center.

Also in February, in Odesa region, police detained a 38-year-old serviceman who tried to bribe a border guard to illegally cross the state border of Ukraine. The man was served a notice of suspicion, and the court imposed a pre-trial restraint in the form of detention with the possibility of bail.

Анна Бальчінос