In Rivne region, a case against an organized group that smuggled 37 draft evaders out of the country has been submitted to court.
According to Ukrinform, this was reported by the Rivne Regional Prosecutor's Office.
“Prosecutors from the Rivne Regional Prosecutor's Office have submitted an indictment to the court against four individuals who, as part of an organized group, established a channel for the illegal transportation of conscripts across the state border of Ukraine during martial law,” the statement says.
It was noted that the investigation revealed that the escape scheme was organized by a 37-year-old resident of Rivne, the director of a transportation company. He involved three other residents of Rivne region – two minibus owners engaged in passenger transportation and a father of many children who had the right to travel abroad.
Having access to the IS “Path”, they entered into fictitious civil law agreements and input client data into the system, allowing men of conscription age to leave the country under the pretense of being drivers.
The group members sought out clients and subsequently accompanied them during their exit from Ukraine as second drivers. The scheme operated from September 2022 to May 2023. During this time, the offenders managed to smuggle out 37 draft evaders.
The penalty under the Criminal Code for illegal transportation of individuals across the state border provides for a maximum punishment of imprisonment for a term of 7 to 9 years, along with the deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in specific activities for up to 3 years, along with property confiscation, the prosecutor's office noted.
As reported by Ukrinform, in Transcarpathia, the police detained the organizers of the scheme who disguised draft evaders as railway workers and transported them across the border.