In the Kharkiv region, a woman with a disability was used in a scheme to cross the border through a sham marriage
Kyiv • UNN
In Kharkiv, a scheme for traveling abroad through a sham marriage with a woman with a disability was uncovered. The organizers demanded 10,000 US dollars for this service.
In the Kharkiv region, a scheme for the illegal smuggling of a person liable for military service across the border was uncovered, in which, according to the investigation, a woman with a disability was used. Suspicion has been announced against two men who organized a sham marriage as a basis for departure during martial law. This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General, according to UNN.
Under the procedural guidance of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the sphere of defense of the Eastern Region, the head of the control and technical point of one of the military units in the Kharkiv region and his accomplice have been notified of suspicion on the facts of illegal smuggling of a person liable for military service across the state border of Ukraine and human trafficking
According to the investigation, in May 2024, the suspects organized a scheme for the departure abroad of a man of conscription age who had no legal grounds to leave the territory of Ukraine during martial law.
To implement the plan, they used a 27-year-old woman with a Group II disability, who was in a vulnerable position and dependent on one of the accomplices. The man, who had known the victim for over 10 years, according to the investigation, took advantage of her trust and difficult life circumstances to persuade her into a sham marriage with a man she did not know.
After the marriage registration, the man was to use the status of a spouse of a person with a disability as a formal basis for traveling outside of Ukraine. For their services, the suspects demanded 10,000 USD.
On May 27, 2024, under the control of law enforcement officers, a marriage with signs of being sham was registered at a Civil Registry office in the Kharkiv region. On the same day, the receipt of part of the agreed amount—5,000 USD—was documented.
After the transfer of funds, the serviceman and his accomplice were detained. During the searches, money, mobile phones, and the victim's documents were seized.
The court chose preventive measures for the suspects in the form of detention with the alternative of posting bail. Their property was also seized. The involvement of the suspects in other instances of illegal smuggling of persons liable for military service across the state border of Ukraine is being verified.