To Moldova for $10 thousand: Organizers of human smuggling scheme are detained. VIDEO+PHOTOS
Law enforcement officers detained the organisers of a scheme to smuggle people of military age across the border. Fifty-one searches were conducted in Ternopil, Lviv, Odesa and Chernivtsi regions.
This was reported by the State Border Guard Service, Censor.NET reports.
As noted, two 24-year-old residents of Ternopil organised the scheme, which involved five other people. Each of them had their own area of work - some were looking for people who wanted to go abroad illegally, others provided escort to the border, and others helped to get to the territory of Moldova outside checkpoints. This scheme allowed the fraudsters to earn over UAH 3 million.
For such services, the organisers charged from 8 to 10 thousand dollars per person.
Law enforcement officers conducted 51 authorised searches in Ternopil, Lviv, Odesa and Chernivtsi regions. Almost USD 93,000, over EUR 7,500, UAH 147,500, four premium cars, mobile phones, SIM cards and bank cards, draft records and other documents were found and seized.
The organisers of the illegal scheme were detained in accordance with Art. 208 of the CPC of Ukraine. They were served a notice of suspicion of committing a criminal offence under Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine "Illegal transfer of persons across the state border of Ukraine". The sanction of the article provides for imprisonment for a term of seven to nine years with disqualification to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for up to three years with confiscation of property. Measures are currently being taken to identify the full range of persons involved in the scheme.
Officers of the National and Internal Security Department of the State Border Guard Service Administration, the Operational and Investigation Department of the 7th Border Guard Detachment of the Carpathian Border Guard Detachment, together with operatives of the Criminal Investigation Department, investigators, criminal analysis officers of the Main National Police in Ternopil region and officers of the SSU Regional Office, took part in the activities to eliminate the channel of illegal trafficking of persons of military age across the border.
