Arrest of Organizer of Illegal Smuggling
The organizer was apprehended while attempting to transport six clients to the unrecognized territory of Transnistria. He has been charged and a preventive measure has been chosen. He faces imprisonment along with a ban on holding certain positions or engaging in specific activities and confiscation of assets.
This was reported by the police.
Patrol police officers stopped a «KIA Sorento» driven by a 51-year-old man from one of the district recruitment and social support centers. Inside the vehicle were six men aged between 25 and 30 years from various regions including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, and Poltava.
Upon arrival, investigators established that the driver had organized and facilitated the illegal transport of conscripts to the self-proclaimed Transnistrian Moldovan Republic. His services cost between five to eight thousand dollars, depending on the clients' financial capabilities. He acted in collusion with an unidentified individual who sourced the clients for him.
The authorities confiscated the vehicle, detained the driver, and sent the passengers for verification to the military recruitment centers.
After gathering sufficient evidence, investigators charged the suspect under part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – organizing the illegal transport of individuals across the state border for selfish motives. This crime is punishable by imprisonment for up to nine years.
The court has chosen a preventive measure in the form of detention, with the right to bail set at 240,000 hryvnias, which he did not utilize.
Law enforcement continues to identify all individuals involved in this crime. The investigation is ongoing under the procedural guidance of the Odessa Specialized Prosecutor's Office in the defense sector.
