On Volyn, a Regional Council Deputy Was Exposed for Organizing Illegal Cross-Border Smuggling of Desertors
Law enforcement agencies in the Volyn region, in cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine and the Office of the General Prosecutor, have conducted a large-scale operation that uncovered a sitting deputy of the Volyn Regional Council, Oleksandr Tivadar, involved in arranging and leading illegal schemes for smuggling individuals across Ukraine's border. According to collected information, this politician, representing the 'For the Future' party, actively participated in criminal activities that, since 2022, allowed over a hundred persons evading conscription or otherwise seeking to leave the country illegally to cross borders undetected. Investigations reveal that the suspect was part of a criminal group led by a former deputy head of the Volyn Military Administration, which had already been detained by SBU officers. It is established that Tivadar supplied the smugglers with forged documents, enabling them to cross the border legally under the guise of volunteers reportedly dispatched by the Volyn Regional State Administration for humanitarian aid missions. The criminals charged up to $5,000 per person for their services. According to authorities, Tivadar faces charges under several articles of the Ukrainian Criminal Code, including participation in a criminal organization, obstructing the activities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and illegal border crossing. If proven guilty, he could face up to 12 years in prison and the confiscation of assets. Searches carried out across the Volyn and Khmelnytskyi regions confirmed the extensive scope of the criminal operation. Court rulings have already been issued against seven members of the group, who reached plea agreements and provided testimonies about their co-conspirators. In addition to Tivadar, other individuals involved included assistants to the Rivne Economic Court, leaders of charitable foundations, and others, all implicated through forged documents and the ‘Shlyakh’ system, which allowed unimpeded border crossing. This law enforcement operation highlights Ukraine's unwavering effort to dismantle corrupt networks and criminal schemes threatening the country's security and sovereignty, demonstrating the authorities’ commitment to hold even politically connected individuals accountable.