13 February 2026
(PHOTO: National Police in Odesa region)
A police officer and border guards detained two men in Odesa region who are suspected of smuggling men abroad outside of checkpoints.
According to the press service of the Main Directorate of the National Police of Ukraine in Odesa region, one of them was detained in Odesa district.
In collusion with a currently unidentified person, he undertook to illegally smuggle two men of military age from Odesa and Khmelnytskyi regions across the Ukrainian-Moldovan border. The offender provided them with tools to overcome engineering obstacles and cross the border on foot. However, the deal was not fully realized: law enforcement officers detained the carrier when he was transporting customers from Odesa to Podil district.
PHOTO: National Police in Odesa region
The second man is a 9-year-old resident of Rozdilnyanskyi district. Acting in collusion with currently unidentified persons, he promised a conscript from Odesa region to organize an illegal crossing of the state border of Ukraine with unrecognized Transnistria for $9.6 thousand. The dealer was supposed to provide the client with transportation and necessary things for the trip. However, law enforcement officers detained the suspect in Rozdilna immediately after he received the money.
Investigators seized cell phones, a car and cash from the detainees as material evidence. The seized property was seized by the court. The police procedurally detained both defendants and notified them of suspicion of organizing the illegal transportation of persons across the state border of Ukraine, facilitating its commission by advice, instructions, provision of funds, committed by prior conspiracy by a group of persons, in particular for mercenary motives.
According to the sanctions, the maximum penalty for such actions is 9 years in prison with disqualification to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years with confiscation of property.
The court imposed on the suspects a pre-trial restraint in the form of detention with the right to be released on bail, and the first suspect took advantage of this.
Кирило Бойко
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