Mykolaiv exposes mobilization evasion scheme and detains extortionists

A scheme to evade mobilization was exposed in Mykolaiv: three men lured tens of thousands of dollars from an acquaintance, promising "protection" from conscription. All of them were detained while delivering another bribe.

This was reported by the communication department of the National Police of Mykolaiv region.

Law enforcers detained three residents of the Nechayanska community who, over the course of a year and a half, had extorted about $70,000 from their friend for "assistance" in evading mobilization.

The group, which included a 70-year-old father, his 42-year-old son and their 64-year-old accomplice, had been operating since October 2023: one of them posed as a military recruitment office employee, promised to resolve issues with the military commissariat and even threatened to send the man to the front line if he stopped paying.

The victim transferred from $500 to $4,000 to the defendants every week, sometimes in cash, sometimes on a card. During the next transfer of $3,000 on a street in Mykolaiv, all three were detained by internal security officers of the National Police with the participation of special forces and dog handlers.

The criminals have already been served a notice of suspicion under Part 4 of Article 189 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - extortion under martial law. They face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property. Two of them are in custody with bail in excess of one million hryvnias, and the third is under house arrest.

Recently, in Mykolaiv region, a junior sergeant of the Armed Forces of Ukraine demanded $4,500 for influencing the military medical commission to help a man avoid mobilization. Law enforcement detained him while he was receiving the bribe, and the court sentenced him to a fine and released him from custody.

The State Bureau of Investigation also completed a pre-trial investigation into the case of a resident of Mykolaiv who, together with an employee of the district recruitment center, organized a scheme to extort money from relatives of persons liable for military service. According to the investigation, in exchange for a certain amount of money, the defendants promised to resolve the issue of unfitness for service.

Анна Бальчінос