In Odessa, they were selling reservations and business trips to Poland

In Odesa, law enforcement officers detained two men suspected of organizing the illegal departure of a person subject to military conscription abroad. For $13,000, they promised to arrange a fictitious job at a defense contractor, an exemption from mobilization, and a business trip to Poland.

This was reported by the Odessa Regional Police.

According to the investigation, two Odessa residents, aged 33 and 28, are involved in the scheme. They sought out men of draft age who wanted to leave Ukraine while circumventing established restrictions.

To one such “client,” who was wanted for violating mobilization laws, the suspects offered a fictitious job as a freight forwarder at a state-owned defense enterprise. This was supposed to allow him to have the warrant for his arrest revoked by the Territorial Recruitment Center and obtain an exemption from mobilization.

According to the organizers’ plan, the man was to remain formally on the company’s payroll for about three weeks. After that, he was promised a business trip to Poland. In reality, he was not required to actually work or even show up at the company.

The accomplices priced their services at 13,000 dollars. Police detained them in the Kyivskyi district of Odesa while they were receiving the full amount and documents from the client inside the car of one of the suspects.

Law enforcement officers seized the money, cell phones, documentation, and the car. Both men were notified that they are suspected of organizing the illegal smuggling of persons across the state border as part of a premeditated conspiracy by a group of individuals for financial gain.

The court ordered the suspects to be held in custody with the possibility of posting bail. Bail was set at 332,800 hryvnias for the older suspect and 66,560 hryvnias for the younger one.

Under the charges, they face up to nine years in prison, along with confiscation of property and a ban on holding certain positions or engaging in certain activities for up to three years.

Андрій Колісніченко