A woman and a man allegedly ran a paid scheme guiding military-age men across forest paths to Moldova, authorities say. Investigators continue tracing the network.
As reported by the Security Service of Ukraine’s Office in Khmelnytskyi Oblast on the Facebook page.
Law enforcement authorities uncovered a woman and a man who organized a scheme to illegally smuggle draft-age men across the border toward Moldova.
The information was confirmed by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Office in Khmelnytskyi Oblast on its official page.
«As the investigation showed, a 51-year-old resident of Khmelnytskyi region and a 39-year-old Bukovinian man helped draft-age individuals cross the border outside official border checkpoints to Moldova. For their services they demanded $10,500 from each person»
– SBU Office in Khmelnytskyi Oblast
Investigation Details and Operational Actions
According to the investigation, the perpetrators brought men in their own cars to Chernivtsi, bypassing checkpoints, after which they escorted them along forest trails to the border.
During an attempt to smuggle another client, the suspects were detained.
They are charged with Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – illegal crossing of persons across the state border. The court ordered their detention as a preventive measure.
The investigation is ongoing to identify all individuals involved in this criminal scheme and determine its full scope of participants.