SSU detains ex-deacon of UOC (MP) who sent evaders abroad

The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has exposed another scheme in the Odessa region involving evasion of mobilization and illegal travel abroad for citizens of conscription age. This was reported by the SSU press service.

During comprehensive actions, a former deacon of the Odessa Eparchy of the UOC-MP was apprehended. He allegedly "assisted" potential conscripts in traveling to European Union countries under the guise of church clerics for money.

To implement this scheme, the perpetrator forged "lists of missionaries" on behalf of the eparchy's leader who were supposedly going abroad for religious community matters. Subsequently, the offender submitted fake documents to the State Service for Ethnopolitics and Freedom of Speech with a fabricated "justification" for the need for the pseudo-clerics to travel outside Ukraine.

The cost of one "spot on the list" ranged from $4,500 in American dollars, depending on the urgency of departure and the financial capabilities of the clients.

In this way, the perpetrator attempted to illegally transport six evaders across the border. However, SSU agents uncovered the scheme in a timely manner and caught him "red-handed."

During the searches at the detainee's residence, the following items were found:

- Computers, mobile phones, and SIM cards with evidence of the scheme.
- Cash obtained through criminal means.

Currently, he has been notified of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal transportation of individuals across the state border of Ukraine).

The perpetrator is in custody and could face up to 9 years in prison with property confiscation. An investigation is ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the offense.