US, Interpol help bust draft dodging scheme in Ukraine
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Interpol have assisted in an operation to dismantle a scheme that allowed draft-eligible Ukrainian citizens to illegally leave the country during martial law, Ukraine’s National Police announced on Oct. 4.
Authorities unraveled an enterprise involving about 40 individuals offering services to smuggle men of conscription age for about $10,000 each.
Police identified that the organizers created a private Telegram channel to provide offers and instructions to clients. After making an advance payment, potential escapees were directed to Lviv, from where they were transported via mountain routes to Zakarpattya Oblast. The men were then hidden in apartments before being smuggled across the border, avoiding official checkpoints, into Romania.
Cooperating with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s investigations department, Ukrainian law enforcement located one of the scheme's organizers. After moving to the United States, he continued coordinating activities and distributing funds among accomplices.
One individual has already been arrested on charges of illegally transporting individuals across the state borders.
Authorities noted that they are working to identify and apprehend the other accomplices. Suspects face up to nine years in prison.
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