A criminal group selling children abroad was exposed in the Odessa region: details of the scheme

In the Odessa region, law enforcement officers have uncovered a criminal group that was selling Ukrainian children abroad, where they were illegally adopted. The organizers of the scheme received large sums of money for this.

This was reported to the police.

According to law enforcement officials, at least 25 orphans and children deprived of parental care were the victims.

As the investigation revealed, three members of the group smuggled children abroad, where they were illegally adopted by foreigners.

The police emphasized that the suspects even circumvented the ban on international adoption, which was imposed during martial law.

For the purpose of the deal, they used false documents to register guardianship for fictitious persons, mostly men of draft age, to enable them to avoid mobilization.

It is noted that, among other things, in order to obtain the necessary decisions, the defendants put pressure on officials of the children’s services and military personnel of the CCC, using corrupt connections and posing as influential people from the President’s Office.

It is known that they managed to hand over 13 children to foreigners, and law enforcement officers prevented the others from being taken abroad.

Investigators have informed the participants in the scheme — two residents of Lviv and a foreigner — of suspicions under three articles of the Criminal Code. They face up to 15 years in prison.

Two suspects have already been detained. The court has chosen for them a preventive measure in the form of arrest with the right to post bail in the amount of over two million hryvnias.

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