In Lviv, law enforcement officials detained a suspect who had established a channel for the illegal trafficking of conscripts into the EU. The suspect, a 24-year-old entrepreneur from Stryi region, offered his “clients” several schemes, including the forgery of medical documents or fictitious employment. Both options allowed men to cross the state border of Ukraine under martial law conditions.
The suspect was uncovered by the investigators of the Special Crimes Investigation Department of the Lviv Police Investigative Unit, in cooperation with operatives from the Security Service of Ukraine in Lviv Region and under the procedural guidance of the Specialized Defense Prosecution of the Western Region.
His services cost between 12,000 to 15,000 dollars, depending on the chosen method of crossing the border. On February 19, law enforcement officials detained him in Lviv after receiving an advance payment of 10,500 dollars from a client who planned to leave the country as an engineer-expectator.
The detainee was charged under Part 3 of Article 332 (Illegal Trafficking of Persons Across the State Border of Ukraine) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The penalty under this article involves imprisonment for a term of seven to nine years with confiscation of property. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.