In Odessa, police in collaboration with the Security Service of Ukraine arrested a man who promised an expatriate permanent residency for $6,000. The suspect attempted to influence officials at the State Migration Service to extend the foreigner's stay in Ukraine and process residency documents.
The 47-year-old native of a Caucasian country was apprehended while receiving payment for his 'services'.
Authorities discovered that he was recruiting acquaintances who were foreigners, assuring them of his connections within the migration service and promising to resolve their issues for a fee.
He promised to extend a foreigner's stay for $1,000 and to secure permanent residency for another $5,000. The man claimed that without his help, obtaining these documents would be impossible or take a lot of time.
After the exchange of cash and the foreigner's documents, police officers documented the criminal activities of the fraudster. He is now facing charges for abuse of influence under Article 369-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which carries a penalty of up to five years in prison.
An investigation is ongoing under the supervision of the Primorsky District Prosecutor's Office of Odessa.