In Odesa region, SSU cyber experts jointly with the State Border Guard Service and the National Police dismantled an international criminal group smuggling draft evaders abroad.

As a result of the special operation, a group’s organizer was detained red-handed. Driving his car, he tried to cross the state border and smuggle two evaders to unrecognized Transnistria.

The cost of ‘services’ reached USD 7,000.

According to the investigation, the group's organizer is a resident of Kyiv who had previously served a sentence for drug trafficking. He involved two accomplices - citizens of the so-called ‘PMR’ - in the illegal migration channel.

To search for evaders, the offenders created a Telegram channel, administered from the unrecognized republic.

For money, they offered online potential conscripts to evade mobilization and travel abroad.

The draft evaders were promised to be transported to one of the European countries bypassing checkpoints through Transnistria.

It was established that the group's organizer used his own private house on the border of Odesa region as a ‘transit point’ for gathering draft dodgers.

There, they were instructed on the time and place of illegal border crossing and practiced an algorithm of actions in case of detention by law enforcement.

The searches at the offender's home revealed:

• cash obtained in a criminal way;
• bank cards and mobile phones with evidence of unlawful actions.

The detainee was notified of suspicion under Articles 15.2 and 332.2 of the CCU (unlawful transportation of persons across the state border of Ukraine committed in collusion). Court is to decide on custody as a measure of restraint.

The investigation is ongoing to bring all perpetrators to justice. The suspects are facing up to 7 years in prison. 

The SSU carried out the operation jointly with the State Border Guard Service and the National Police under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor’s General Office.