Operatives of the Lviv border detachment, together with law enforcement officers, exposed a Ukrainian who intended to smuggle conscripted men abroad illegally, bypassing checkpoints.
As the law enforcement officers established, a 47-year-old resident of Zakarpattia Oblast agreed to organize a transfer for men of conscription age who intended to evade mobilization for a monetary reward. He estimated his services at about 3,000 euros per person. For this purpose, the perpetrator took his five “clients” to the border by car. However, border guards prevented the evaders’ intention. A few tens of meters from the border with Poland, the men were detained by the servicemen of the detachment.
In the course of authorized searches at the place of residence of the suspect, two cars, which were used for the illegal transportation of men abroad, and mobile phones were discovered and seized.
In order to avoid criminal responsibility, the “businessman” was hiding and intended to leave the territory of our country. On the instructions of the investigator, operatives detained the man while trying to cross the state border.
The law enforcement officers informed the detainee of the suspicion of committing a criminal offense under Part 3 of Art. 332 (Illegal transportation of persons across the state border of Ukraine) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The sanction of the article provides for punishment – deprivation of liberty for a period of seven to nine years with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a period of up to three years with confiscation of property. The court chose a preventive measure for the suspect in the form of detention with the right to post bail in the amount of more than 500,000 hryvnias.
Actions to stop illegal activities were carried out by the operatives of the Lviv border detachment together with the investigators of the Yavoriv district police department of the GUNP in the Lviv region and with the support of the Department of Criminal Analysis of the Lviv Oblast Police under the procedural guidance of the Yavoriv district prosecutor’s office.
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.