In the Lviv region, a scheme for producing fake birth certificates for children has been uncovered. These were used to obtain the status of parents of large families and to attempt to leave the country during martial law. This was reported under the procedural guidance of the Halych District Prosecutor’s Office of the city of Lviv.
According to the investigation, three individuals, at different times and for a monetary reward, produced forged birth certificates for children “to order”. The “clients” bought documents for the number of children they lacked in order to obtain the formal status of a father of a large family and legal grounds for crossing the border without hindrance.
It has been documented that initially a 34-year-old resident of Kyiv region produced fake birth certificates for twin sons for himself, listing him and his 33-year-old wife as the parents. To avoid detection, the fake documents used the details and seals of the Embassy of Ukraine in one of the EU countries, were certified with an apostille and translated into Ukrainian. In November 2022, the man, having these documents, travelled to Poland and later returned to Ukraine.
Having convinced himself that the scheme could work, the man involved his wife and a 34-year-old acquaintance from Zaporizhzhia. According to the investigation, the accomplices arranged the production of at least five birth certificates for non-existent children for at least two men; in two cases these were documents for twins. For such services they received between 3,500 and 5,500 US dollars. However, the “clients” were unable to cross the border: State Border Guard Service inspectors detected the forgery and refused them exit.
The three individuals involved have been notified of suspicion of facilitating the unlawful transfer of persons across the state border of Ukraine by providing means, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy, for profit (Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). In addition, the resident of Irpin is additionally charged with forging an official document that grants rights or exempts from obligations, with the intention of its use by himself and another person, committed repeatedly and by a group of persons by prior conspiracy, as well as using a knowingly forged document (Parts 1, 3, 4 of Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). His wife and the accomplice from Zaporizhzhia are accused of forging an official document with the intention of its use by another person, committed repeatedly and by a group of persons by prior conspiracy (Part 3 of Article 358 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by Lviv District Police Department No. 1 of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Lviv region, with operational support from the Operational and Investigative Activities Department of the Western Regional Directorate of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. The exposure and documentation of the crime were carried out jointly with officers of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Lviv region and staff of the Counterintelligence Protection of the State’s Interests in the Sphere of Economic Security Department of the Security Service of Ukraine. Investigative actions are ongoing to identify other persons involved in the production of forged documents, as well as reservists who may have used this scheme.
Pursuant to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and may not be subjected to criminal punishment until his or her guilt has been proven in the manner prescribed by law and established by a guilty verdict of a court.