In Lviv, law enforcement officers have detained a 48-year-old Armenian man suspected of organising the illegal departure of a man liable for military service abroad under the guise of being a member of a music band. This was reported under the procedural guidance of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the investigation, in May this year a foreign national residing in Lviv offered a man liable for military service to arrange “legal grounds” for leaving Ukraine. Under the scheme devised, the “client” was to be added to the line-up of a music group, his details entered into the “Shliakh” information system, and transport across the border arranged.
It was envisaged that the man would cross the state border as a member of a band allegedly touring for charitable purposes in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the same time, information about the music group itself and the “position” the man liable for military service was supposed to hold in it was not disclosed to him before departure.
The foreign national priced his services at 12,000 US dollars. Payment was to be made in instalments: 3,000 US dollars in advance, with the remainder to be paid after successfully crossing the border. Law enforcement officers detained the man under Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine in the Sykhiv district of Lviv immediately after he received the agreed advance payment.
The detainee has been notified of suspicion of organising the illegal transfer of a person across the state border of Ukraine, directing such actions and facilitating their commission by providing advice and instructions, by prior conspiracy by a group of persons, for mercenary motives (Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The investigation also notes that this is not the first time the man has been suspected of committing a similar offence.
In 2020, he was convicted for organising a scheme to produce and sell forged passports and residence permits to foreign nationals for illegal stay in Ukraine and crossing of the state border. At that time, the court released him from serving his sentence, imposing a 1-year probationary period.
As part of the new proceedings, investigative actions are ongoing, and other individuals who may be involved in the illegal transfer of citizens across the border are being identified. The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the Main Directorate of the National Police in Lviv Region with operational support from the Strategic Investigations Department in Lviv Region of the Criminal Investigation Department of the National Police of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine Directorate in Lviv Region.
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 their guilt has been proven in accordance with the law and established by a guilty verdict of a court.