A technician at a government-run service station promised, for a fee, to have a person’s name removed from the wanted list at the Territorial Recruitment Center and to arrange for them to cross the border into a neighboring country. The broker was detained, and the case files regarding the military registration and enlistment office officials were forwarded to the military prosecutor’s office.
In Transcarpathia, law enforcement officials have shut down yet another channel for the illegal smuggling of conscripts across the state border and the abuse of influence in the area of mobilization. A police officer from the region’s security unit was found to be involved in organizing the scheme.
This was reported by the Transcarpathian Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
$10,000 for escape and “resolving” issues with the TCC
According to the investigation, the illegal scheme was set up by a technical engineer at a police maintenance station belonging to one of the region’s district departments. The suspect offered two men subject to military conscription a comprehensive “service package” to avoid mobilization and subsequently travel to Romania.
The cost of the illegal transfer and “escort” was 10,000 U.S. dollars per person:
- Removal from the “Oberig” wanted list: After receiving a $700 advance from clients, the broker promised to use his personal connections at the district territorial center for conscription and social support (TCC and SS) to unlawfully remove information about the man’s status as a wanted person from the “Oberig” Unified State Register of Conscripts;
- A route across the river and through the mountains: they planned to smuggle another client across a forested section of the Ukrainian-Romanian border outside of official border crossings.
The attempt to cross the border was unsuccessful—the fugitive, along with his hired guide, was detained by State Border Guard Service personnel right at the border.
Charges and Investigation Regarding TCC Employees
Law enforcement officers detained the organizer of the scheme. Under the procedural supervision of the prosecutor’s office, he was officially notified of his status as a suspect under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- Section 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine —illegal transportation of persons across the state border of Ukraine, committed for personal gain;
- Part 2 of Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine —abuse of influence (accepting a proposal, promise, or receiving an unlawful benefit for oneself or a third party in exchange for influencing a decision made by a person authorized to perform state functions).
Investigators are currently preparing a motion to the court to impose a preventive measure in the form of pretrial detention on the suspect.
Separately, officials from the district military registration and enlistment office and the joint venture are being investigated for their involvement in the corruption scheme. The relevant case materials concerning military personnel have been separated and forwarded, based on jurisdiction, to the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Defense Affairs in the Western Region.
