Pakistani people smuggler arrested in Kyiv
Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office / Telegram
A 26-year-old Pakistani national was detained in Kyiv on people smuggling charges, Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office announced on Sept. 18.
According to the statement, the suspect recruited clients via Telegram and secured them fake acceptance letters from Ukrainian universities. Those letters allowed the foreigners to claim they were coming to Ukraine for study, when in fact no real coursework was planned.
Prosecutors say the man arranged the fraudulent entry of at least one Egyptian citizen. For his services, he received $2,000 via bank transfer and an additional $100 in cash. Once inside Ukraine on a student visa, the foreigners were able to remain for an extended period before moving on to Western European countries, posing as war refugees.
Investigators noted that the Pakistani citizen himself was in Ukraine legally as a medical university student.
He is charged with organizing illegal border crossings for profit, facing up to nine years in prison.
The investigation continues, aiming to identify and detain others suspected of participating in the scheme.
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