An official in the Lviv region was exposed for organizing a channel for the illegal crossing of individuals abroad.
Criminal proceedings have been initiated under part 3 of article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The operation was conducted by operatives of the 7th Border Carpathian Detachment together with employees of the Territorial Department of SBI in Lviv and the Migration Police of Lviv region.
According to the investigation, the official set up an illegal exit channel by seeking out individuals willing to use the “service.” He involved an acquaintance driver, who facilitated the transportation of clients. The border guard handled the documentation and was subsequently involved in the framework of confidential cooperation.
The scheme used the passport documents of elderly individuals. In one episode, the passport of a 70-year-old deceased father of the customs officer and a 77-year-old relative of the associate driver was used. According to preliminary data, the cost of illegal crossing was approximately 15 thousand US dollars per person.
During authorized searches, law enforcement officers seized passports, mobile phones, vehicles, and other material evidence. The customs officer was detained under a preventive measure with an option of bail over 1.6 million hryvnias and suspended from duty. The civilian accomplice was also detained with the possibility of bail over 884 thousand hryvnias.
Procedural guidance in the case is being conducted by the Lviv Specialized Prosecutor’s Office in the defense sphere of the Western region.