Arrest at the Border: New Developments
Law enforcement officials apprehended a 50-year-old man at the border with the unrecognized Transnistrian Moldovan Republic, where he was trying to smuggle two clients for escape. He has been charged and a preventive measure has been selected. The man faces imprisonment.
Employees of the migration police department of the Odesa region and investigators from police station No. 2 uncovered the criminal activities of a resident of the Reni district.
Police found that the suspect had conspired with an unidentified individual who was sourcing clients via messenger for illegal border crossing, agreeing to transport fugitives to the border with Transnistria.
Law enforcement documented how the driver met with two conscription-age men in Odesa and drove them to the Podilskyi district, where he intended to drop them off near the state border. After receiving detailed instructions, the fugitives were supposed to cross the border independently.
However, the illegal border crossing was thwarted by law enforcement. With the support of a special police battalion, the perpetrator and his passengers were stopped 100 meters from the border, and the driver was detained.
Investigators seized the suspect's vehicle and his mobile phone, which contained information of interest to the investigation. The court has placed a freeze on these assets.
Currently, investigators have informed the suspect of charges related to illegal transportation of persons across the state border of Ukraine under part 2 of article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. This crime is punishable by up to seven years in prison with a ban on holding certain positions for up to three years. By court order, the suspect has been remanded in custody.
Investigative actions continue under the supervision of the Suvorov District Prosecutor's Office of Odesa.
During the pre-trial investigation, all circumstances of the crime and the full circle of individuals involved will be established.
Law enforcement emphasizes that criminal liability for crossing the border is primarily borne by those who provide advice and services, aiding individuals in unlawfully leaving the country. Vehicles in such cases are seized and subjected to arrest.
We emphasize: the illegal actions of transporters, including drivers of cars, boats, submarines, etc., can be classified as aiding in the illegal transportation of persons across the state border of Ukraine, which is punishable by up to nine years in prison, with a ban on holding certain positions for up to three years and confiscation of property.
