In Lviv region, law enforcement officers uncovered a scheme for the illegal departure of a conscript abroad, organised by the director of a transport company from Rivne region.
According to preliminary information, the 38-year-old company director offered a 43-year-old conscripted man the opportunity to travel to one of the European Union countries under the guise of an international lorry driver. To this end, he fictitiously employed him as a driver in the company he headed and submitted documents for the man’s details to be entered into the “Shliakh” information system, which entitled him to leave the country without hindrance.
During the first two attempts to cross the state border, the man was refused exit because the purpose of his trip could not be confirmed. After that, the organiser of the scheme prepared the necessary documents for a third time, gave the conscript instructions on how to pass border and customs control, and provided him with vehicles. He also informed him of the need to offer an unlawful benefit to officials should any obstacles arise during the checks.
In July this year, during the third attempt to cross the border via the “Krakivets” checkpoint, the conscript offered a border guard 1,200 euros in return for not carrying out the proper verification of documents and lawful grounds for leaving Ukraine. He was then detained.
The 43-year-old man is charged with a criminal offence under Part 1 of Article 369 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (offering, promising or providing an unlawful benefit to an official). The pre-trial investigation has been completed and the indictment has been sent to court. The article provides for a penalty in the form of a fine ranging from one thousand to four thousand tax-free minimum incomes of citizens, or restriction of liberty for a term of two to four years, or imprisonment for the same term.
The director of the transport company has been notified that he is suspected of committing an offence under Part 2 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (unlawful transportation of persons across the state border of Ukraine). The sanction of this article provides for imprisonment for a term of five to seven years with disqualification from holding certain positions or engaging in certain activities for up to three years.
The perpetrators were exposed by criminal police operatives and investigators from the department for the investigation of particularly serious crimes of the Lviv region police investigation directorate, together with officers of the Security Service of Ukraine Office in Lviv region, operatives of the internal and own security unit of the 7th Carpathian Border Detachment of the Main Internal and Own Security Department “West” of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, under the procedural guidance of the Lviv Specialised Defence Prosecutor’s Office for the Western Region.