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March 19, 2026, 8:31 a.m.
Police officer and accomplice in Odesa are under investigation for scheme with conscripts
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ILLUSTRATION: AI
In Odesa region, law enforcement officers exposed a scheme to smuggle men liable for military service across the state border. According to the investigation, a current security police officer and his accomplice were involved in organizing the scheme.
This is evidenced by the decision of the Peresypskyi District Court of Odesa.
According to the investigation, in early August 2025, the man was looking for a way to legally leave Ukraine and asked a friend for advice. The latter, in turn, recommended contacting his friend, an officer of the Security Police Department in Odesa region, assuring him that he was familiar with the "mechanisms" of border crossing.
During the meeting, the policeman offered to smuggle them outside the checkpoints. For his "services," he announced the amount of 18 thousand US dollars. For these funds, he promised to organize transportation to the border with Moldova, including with the involvement of persons who, according to him, would ensure unimpeded travel.
The man turned to law enforcement and continued to act under their control. In early September, the suspects continued to communicate, agreeing on details: meetings were scheduled via messengers, including WhatsApp and Telegram, and the possibility of transferring money in installments was discussed.
Eventually, the organizers agreed to a scheme whereby $10,000 was to be transferred a few days before departure, and another $8,000 on the day of the border crossing through an intermediary. At the same time, one of the suspects claimed that he had repeatedly helped conscripts illegally leave the territory of Ukraine.
In October 2025, during a regular meeting in Odesa, the police officer received the first part of the money - $10,000. Immediately after the money was transferred, law enforcement officers detained the participants in the scheme.
Initially, the judge remanded one of the defendants in custody with an alternative to bail. The bail has now been posted and the court changed the measure of restraint to a personal commitment. Separately, the court ruled to transfer the bail in the amount of over UAH 242 thousand to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.
Law enforcement officers also completed an investigation into two men, residents of Odesa and Vinnytsia, who are suspected of organizing the illegal transportation of persons liable for military service across the state border of Ukraine. The suspects now face up to nine years in prison.
