Two residents of Lviv are suspected of arranging the illegal departure of a man liable for military service from Ukraine for a monetary reward which, depending on the route, ranged from 14,000 to 25,000 US dollars. This was reported under the procedural guidance of the Yavoriv District Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the investigation, in September this year two Lviv residents aged 33 and 29 devised a plan to cross the state border outside official checkpoints. They offered their “client” two options for departure: either via Lviv region to Poland, or via Zakarpattia region to Romania. In their conversations, the men persuaded the conscript to choose the Zakarpattia route, assuring him it would allegedly be cheaper and more reliable thanks to “their own people” along this route.
Under the agreed plan, the conscript was first to be taken and accommodated in a house near the state border in Zakarpattia region, where he was to wait for a suitable moment to be smuggled across. For the sake of secrecy, the organisers gave him a button phone, and promised to inform him of the specific details and method of crossing the border immediately before departure.
The suspects received payment for their “services” in instalments: initially 400 US dollars, and a few days later another 6,000 US dollars. The man was to hand over the remaining amount after successfully crossing the border. However, the scheme could not be carried out – after receiving the last advance payment, both Lviv residents were detained under the procedure provided by Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.
The two men have been notified of suspicion of the illegal transfer of persons across the state border of Ukraine, of directing such actions and facilitating their commission by providing advice and instructions, committed by a group of persons upon prior conspiracy, for profit (Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the Investigation Department of the Yavoriv District Police Division of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Lviv region, with operational support from the Security Service of Ukraine Office in Lviv region.
In accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime until their guilt has been proved in the manner prescribed by law and established by a guilty verdict of the court.