Officials of the Migration Service sold passports to hijackers abroad (photo)

The Security Service of Ukraine, together with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Migration Service, successfully eliminated a large-scale mobilization evasion scheme operating in the Odessa region. This scheme allowed men of military age abroad to avoid military registration and update their data while remaining outside the country.

The press service of the SBU reports this.

During counterintelligence activities, several key persons were detained: the head of the local regional department of the State Migration Service (SMS), two of his subordinates, as well as an employee of the regional division of the Center for Administrative Services (TSNAP). They organized a corruption mechanism through which men of military age could “remotely” issue foreign passports without having to appear in person at government offices.

VHI officials produced documents with gross violations of procedures: they took their own fingerprints, and received photographs of clients via the Internet. The passports obtained in this way were transferred to customers through intermediaries. The cost of these services depended on the urgency and ranged from 500 to 2.5 thousand US dollars.

During 57 searches conducted at the places of work and residence of the suspects, significant amounts of money were seized - more than 300 thousand US dollars and more than 60 thousand euros, as well as about 200 seals and stamps that were used to issue false documents. In total, according to the investigation, more than 150 orders were placed for the production of documents under this scheme.

Based on the collected evidence, SBU investigators reported suspicions to three officials of the State Customs Service, one employee of the CNAP, an intermediary and another participant in the scheme under articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which provide for liability for obstructing the legitimate activities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other military formations. All participants in the criminal scheme face up to eight years in prison. An investigation is currently underway to establish all the circumstances of the case.

All passports issued in violation of the law will be canceled in accordance with the procedure. The operation was carried out under the procedural guidance of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine.

Let us remind you that in the Kyiv region they managed to detain three organizers of a mobilization evasion scheme. They turned out to be the leaders of two district TCCs of the capital region and their accomplice - a citizen of the country of the South Caucasus.