The “clients” were gathered in Lviv and then taken to Zakarpattia region, where they were guided through a forest belt across the border or shown a safe route.
An 18-year-old resident of Rivne region was involved in organising an illegal channel for smuggling men liable for military service across the border. He was charging between USD 10,000 and 15,000 for smuggling outside the checkpoint.
As a result of the measures taken, the police found out the offender’s future plans – in the near future, he was to smuggle a client across the border in Zakarpattia region and was to receive $12,000 for this.
After the offender received USD 10,500 – a part of the agreed amount – operatives of the Strategic Investigations Department in Lviv region and investigators of the Regional Police Investigation Department detained him.
Investigators served the detainee a notice of suspicion under Part 3 of Art. 332 (Illegal transportation of persons across the state border of Ukraine) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The court imposed a pre-trial restraint in the form of custody with the right to be released on bail in the amount of UAH 75,700.
The sanction of the article provides for up to nine years in prison.
The operation was conducted jointly with the officers of the 7th Carpathian Border Guard Detachment (Lviv). Procedural supervision was provided by the Lviv Specialised Defence Prosecutor’s Office of the Western Region.
Department of Strategic Investigations
of the National Police of Ukraine