Men smuggled from Ukraine to EU countries: law enforcement officers block international channel

The National Police reports that it has blocked an “international channel” for trafficking men from Ukraine to the European Union. The National Police of Ukraine reported that the US Department of Homeland Security and Interpol helped in this, according to UNN.

In cooperation with the US Department of Homeland Security's HSI DHS, Ukrainian police established the whereabouts of the criminal group's organizer, who coordinated the actions of his accomplices from the US. Another co-organizer was detained in Zakarpattia region while smuggling another group of people. The operation was conducted within the framework of the international special operation “LIBERTERRA II”,

Details

A large-scale “scheme” of trafficking men of military age from Ukraine to the European Union was exposed by operatives of the Migration Police Department and investigators of the Pechersk Police Department of the Main National Police in Kyiv under the procedural supervision of the Pechersk District Prosecutor's Office together with the 27th Border Guard Detachment of the State Border Guard Service.

Law enforcement officers found that the members of the criminal group were involved in the trafficking of about 40 people abroad, and they estimated their criminal services at USD 10,000 for each person.

The defendants created a closed channel in Telegram, where they offered their “services” and instructed “clients”. After paying an advance, the fugitives had to get to Lviv, and from there the members of the criminal group transported them to Zakarpattia via mountain roads. Later, the men of military age were hidden in the offenders' homes, after which they were illegally transported across the state border of Ukraine, bypassing the established checkpoints to Romania.

In cooperation with the HSI DHS, Ukrainian law enforcement officers uncovered the whereabouts of one of the organizers of the criminal scheme, who illegally crossed the state border of Ukraine and fled to the United States, and from there coordinated the activities of his accomplices and distributed funds.

The organizers of the criminal “scheme” were served a notice of suspicion under Art. 332 (Illegal transportation of persons across the state border of Ukraine), one of them is already under arrest.

The measures to identify other members of the criminal group and detain them are under way.

The offenders face imprisonment for up to nine years with confiscation of property. The investigation is ongoing.

Recall

In Kharkiv region , a corruption scheme to evade mobilization was eliminated. The head of the MSEC and 12 accomplices helped conscripts obtain fake disability certificates for 2-5 thousand dollars.