Kherson exposes scheme to counterfeit driver's licenses in southern Ukraine

A scheme to counterfeit driver's licenses through driving schools and service centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in southern Ukraine was uncovered in Kherson. The offenders received from 2 to 11 thousand hryvnias for fictitious completion of training and guaranteed passing of exams.

This is evidenced by the verdict of the Zavodskyi District Court of Mykolaiv.

According to the investigation, the scheme was organized by a former law enforcement officer who involved a group of accomplices in the crime among employees of service centers in Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odesa regions, as well as directors of driving schools and unidentified persons.

The scheme was based on issuing fictitious documents on graduation from driving schools and ensuring guaranteed passing of theoretical and practical exams to obtain driving licenses of categories A, A1, B and B1. For assistance in this transaction, persons applying for documents paid from 2 to 11 thousand hryvnias.

According to the investigation, the organizer received money from the students through intermediaries and transferred part of it to accomplices who directly provided exams and paperwork. All actions were carried out in contravention of the established state standards for driver training and the procedure for issuing licenses.

The operatives established a number of specific episodes: in 2023-2024, several people transferred money to the bank accounts of the organizer and his accomplices for fictitious completion of training and successful passing of exams. The scheme covered various driving schools and territorial service centers, and the amount of bribes reached hundreds of thousands of hryvnias.

The court found one of the accomplices guilty of attempted bribery, aiding and abetting and influencing the decision-making of public officials and sentenced him to a three-year suspended sentence. He was ordered to regularly register with the probation authorities and report any changes in his place of residence or work. In addition, the seizure of his property, including his share of the apartment and two cars, was canceled.

Law enforcement officers are continuing the investigation, and materials on other participants in the scheme have been separated into separate proceedings.

Also last year, in December, in Kherson, a patrol police inspector was notified of suspicion, whom the investigation believes to be involved in a scheme to produce fake documents on completion of driving school. According to law enforcement, the police officer used his official contacts to pass personal data to an intermediary.

Анна Бальчінос