Odesa group charged in smuggling draft dodgers abroad, faces up to 9 years
Members of an organized group from Odesa Oblast have been charged with smuggling draft dodgers abroad, with a potential sentence of up to nine years of imprisonment, the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) reported on Telegram on Jan. 30.
The entrepreneur behind the scheme was looking for draft dodgers who were willing to cross the border illegally for money and provided them with forged documents of exemption from military registration for health reasons.
Two other law enforcement officers, also involved in the scheme, assisted by providing a formal inspection and allowing individuals with false documents to cross the border.
The fourth member of the group, a father of several children, transported the evaders to Moldova in his own car.
The criminals charged $7,000 for their “services” per “client.”
Four cases have been documented so far, according to the SBI, but the investigation aims to identify other “clients” of the criminal group.
The SBI, in cooperation with the Ukraine’s SBU Security Service and the State Border Guard Service, has charged the organizer and three members of the group with illegal transportation of persons across the state border of Ukraine.
The issue of preventive measures is being addressed.
The article prescribes a punishment of up to nine years of imprisonment.
Procedural guidance is being provided by the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Specialized Prosecutor’s Office.
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