Odesa Police Arrest Man for Illegally Selling Residence Documents for $3K

Police in Odesa have detained a man who was looking for foreigners who wanted to obtain documents for legal residence in Ukraine and offered them assistance in resolving this issue.

According to the press service of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Odesa Oblast, the man was detained while receiving money. He faces imprisonment and confiscation of property.

Law enforcement officers found that the 56-year-old local resident was involved in illegal transactions. Boasting of imaginary acquaintances in the State Migration Service and the possibility of solving any issue there, the offender offered foreigners his assistance in processing documents for legal stay in Ukraine.

In one case, the detainee promised a foreigner's trusted person to help him exchange his temporary residence permit for a permanent one. He wanted to make the deal on the basis of a marriage certificate held by the customer of the service. For this, he wanted to receive 3 thousand dollars. And in case of refusal to pay, he began to intimidate by creating artificial problems that could lead to deportation from the country.

Operatives of the Department of Internal Security and investigators of the Odesa police detained the man immediately after receiving the money.

Police investigators have already served him a notice of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 369-2 (Abuse of Influence) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. He faces up to 8 years in prison for his actions.

The day before, law enforcement officers detained two servicemen in Odesa on suspicion of extortion from a man who was registered with one of the territorial centers for recruitment and social support as a person evading mobilization.

The police detained the offenders under the procedural procedure as soon as one of them met with the man in the center of Odesa and received money from him, which law enforcement officers seized as material evidence.

Кирило Бойко