| 18 November 2008 The activity of law enforcement to counteract illegal migration and to render harmless organized criminal groups operating in this field were discussed during a briefing in the Ministry of Interior of Ukraine that involved Mykhaylo Andriyenko, chief of the Department for Crimes Related to Human Trafficking. According to Andriyenko, Zakarpatya oblast is the most affected by illegal migration now. In this connection, staff of the Department for Crimes Related to Human Trafficking and of the Directorate for Special Operations of the Ukrainian MIA suppressed activities of a transnational organized criminal group that had been operating in the territory Ukraine and providing a stable channel for illegal migration of nationals of Southeast Asia and Africa. - The group was organized by a national of Afghanistan who had been living in Ukraine since 1999, - Mykhaylo Andriyenko said. – Besides, the criminal group included 10 persons nationals of Ukraine, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Jordan. The criminal unit had a firm hierarchical structure with distinct division of roles and functions. When transporting illegal migrants, the group members actively used increased conspiracy methods. Due to a special operation conducted by the MIA DCRHT staff in Zakarpatya oblast, Kyiv oblast and Kyiv city, the smugglers and three groups of illegal migrants including 25 aliens have been apprehended. - This year, the criminal group secured transit delivery of more than 600 foreigners coming from Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, Egypt, Somalia and India across Ukraine to West Europe. The smugglers took almost USD 2000 per one illegal migrant for smuggling, - the Department chief said. Now, seven criminal proceedings have been instituted against the criminal group members for elements provided for by Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (human smuggling across the Ukrainian state border), and they have been detained according to Article 115 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of Ukraine. Investigation is going on. According to the chief of the Department for Crimes Related to Human Trafficking, 128 criminal proceedings have been instituted during ten months of 2008 based on materials provided by the Ukrainian bodies of internal affairs for elements of crimes provided for by Article 332 (human smuggling across the Ukrainian state border) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (10 months of 2007: 116). Thirty-seven organizers of foreigner smuggling and 47 their accomplices are being held criminally liable (respective figures for the same period of 2007 were 22 and 42). More than 13 thousand illegal migrants have been revealed. Over 2 thousand foreigners have been expelled from the country. Ninety groups of illegal migrants, 641 persons in total, have been apprehended. As Mykhaylo Andriyenko also said during the briefing, illegal migration channel organizers make active use of various legal schemes to smuggle illegal migrants both to the territory of Ukraine and to the EU Member States, for example, foreigners’ entry into Ukraine on invitations from private persons and commercial structures (including for the purpose of employment, study, business, and private affairs). For example, in Odesa oblast the MIA DCRHT put an end to operations of a steady criminal organization that had been active for a few years specializing in the organization of foreigner smuggling to Ukraine and further legalization of the smuggled persons in order to move them to the EU countries. The criminal organization included some residents of Odesa and Odesa oblast who, having registered dozens of commercial firms, invited foreign nationals to Ukraine under the pretext of consultations on joint entrepreneurial activities and personally forged the documents (invitations) required for foreigners to get a Ukrainian visa (mainly “B” type – “business visa”). When validity of a visa expired (according to Ukrainian laws in force, a visa is valid for up to 3 months), the criminal group members forged, for some cash remuneration, a package of documents and extended the foreigners’ period of stay in Ukraine for up to one year. The operational investigation measures conducted concerning the group found that the group had assisted in the entry into Ukraine of more than 260 nationals of China, 70 of India, 30 of Pakistan, and 15 natives of various Near East countries during six months of 2008 alone. Criminal proceedings have been instituted against the criminal organization members for elements provided for by the following articles of the CC of Ukraine: 332 (human smuggling across the Ukrainian state border), 364 (abuse of power or of other position), 366 (service forgery), and 358 (forgery of documents, seals, stamps and forms, sale thereof, use of forged documents). The criminals have been arrested, and investigation is going on.
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