Criminal gang members, who organized trafficing of persons across the border, have been convicted

The judgment of the Court of Appeal of Sumy region against 11 members of the criminal group, who in September – October 2008 organized smuggling of 39 citizens of Pakistan across the Ukrainian-Slovak border, has entered into force. 

It was found out that at the end of September 2008 the 39-year-old unemployed resident of Hlukhiv in Sumy region agreed to illegally smuggle Pakistanis across the border. For this, he involved the 28-year-old native of Sumy region.     The offenders delivered the foreigners to their 6 Transcarpathian associates who transported illegal immigrants to Transcarpathia and temporarily sheltered Pakistanis in one of the houses in the village of Velyky Berezny near the Ukrainian-Slovak border. For the sake of conspiracy, the offenders were smuggling illegal immigrants across the border in small groups.

In October 2008, the Security Service of Ukraine detained a 59-year old member of the criminal group in the temporary shelter for illegal immigrants. Soon her accomplices were also arrested. 

The investigators opened a criminal case against the detainees under Part 2 of Art.332 (smuggling of persons across the state border of Ukraine) and Part 1 of Art.255 (creating criminal organization) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

As part of the opened criminal case, detectives tracked down and arrested another four accomplices who had been hiding from the investigation. 

The Court of Appeal of Sumy region sentenced 11 people under this criminal case to imprisonment from 3 to 4 years with the appointment of probationary period from 1.6 to 3 years.