Two individuals have been charged under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, and precautionary measures have been taken against them. The offenders face up to nine years in prison with property confiscation.

According to the investigation, two acquaintances, aged 65 and 25 from the Odesa region, planned to illegally transport a 46-year-old son-in-law of one of them to a neighboring country.

As per their criminal scheme, the younger accomplice approached a border guard, offering him $7,500 to facilitate the crossing of the son-in-law through the checkpoint to Moldova. The older man was to pay the guard just before the son-in-law crossed the border. However, the border guard reported the criminal intentions to the authorities, leading to the documentation of the crime by investigators.

The offenders were apprehended during the transaction: the younger was caught at his residence, while the older one was detained immediately after handing the bribe to the border guard. Cash, mobile phones, and vehicles were seized as evidence. A protocol was drawn up against the 46-year-old man attempting to illegally cross the border under Article 204-1 of the Code of Ukraine on administrative offenses, facing a fine or administrative arrest.

After gathering sufficient evidence, investigators charged the suspects under part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine for organizing illegal transportation of individuals across the state border and under part 3 of Article 369 for offering an unlawful benefit to a public official.

The maximum penalty for the suspects is nine years in prison with property confiscation. The court has imposed precautionary measures in the form of detention with the right to bail, which they utilized. The investigation continues under the supervision of the Odesa specialized military prosecutor's office.