Odessa border guards uncovered a scheme to illegally import cars

<span><span><span><span><span><span>Operatives from the Odessa Border Guard Detachment, in collaboration with officers from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the National Police, uncovered a scheme to illegally import vehicles under the guise of humanitarian aid. A 25-year-old suspect was detained at the moment of handing over the car and receiving $17,900.</span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>This was reported by the Southern Regional Directorate of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine</span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>To avoid paying customs duties on the import of foreign-registered vehicles, the suspect used documents from a charitable organization. However, the man did not subsequently transfer the vehicles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces but sold them for personal gain. Vehicles imported through this scheme included, among others, a Nissan X-Trail, a Nissan Navara, and a Honda CR-V. The suspect posted advertisements for the sale of these SUVs on online vehicle-selling platforms. </span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>The man was detained in the Mykolaiv region. He has been notified of charges under Article 201-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The court ordered the suspect to be held in custody with the right to post bail.</span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>In Odesa, a scheme to smuggle men out of the country using forged maritime documents was uncovered. The investigation uncovered forged documents and fictitious contracts worth thousands of dollars. Under this scheme, nearly 150 men have already crossed the state border posing as crew members of river vessels. The cost of the “service” was 7,300 U.S. dollars. </span></span></span></span></span></span>

<span><span><span><span><span><span>Four residents of Kyiv were detained near the Transnistrian segment of the Ukrainian-Moldovan border in the Odesa region. The men made their way to the state border following instructions from an “assistant” on a Telegram channel. On his advice, the Kyiv residents wore military uniforms to avoid attracting attention. They also brought wire cutters and ropes with them to quickly overcome engineering barriers. They were detected and detained by servicemen of the Podil Detachment.</span></span></span></span></span></span>

Юлія Калабайда