The Security Service, along with the National Police, blocked another interregional scheme for the production and sale of forged documents of Ukraine.
As a result of comprehensive measures in several regions of Ukraine, the organizer of the scheme and 3 of his accomplices were exposed.
According to the details shared by the SBU, “The suspects have offered their customers fake passports, driver’s licenses, vehicle registration certificates and state land title deeds.”
Among the clients were citizens of the Russian Federation who, on the basis of fake documents, tried to “legalize” themselves in Ukraine or leave for the European Union.
The cost of a forgery depended on the complexity of the document and the urgency of its production.
At the same time, every month the persons involved fulfilled 100 or more “orders”.
In addition, they produced fictitious conclusions of medical commissions regarding unfitness for military service due to health. Such a service was estimated from 5 to 10 thousand dollars.
According to the investigation, the illegal activity was organized by a resident of Kyiv. He set up an underground printing house in a specially rented apartment in Rivne, where he placed equipment for printing forms and applying holographic images.
The details shared by the SBU added that, “For the conspiracy, the dealers sent a ready-made forgery to their accomplice from Buchi, and he already forwarded it to “customers” through popular postal services.”
Another participant of the “scheme” – a resident of Kharkiv – was looking for clients. There was also a private notary who took part in the formalities and issued powers of attorney “in absentia”.
During more than 150 searches in the underground “workshop”, as well as at the residence and work addresses of the persons involved in the Kyiv, Rivne, Kharkiv, Odesa and Zakarpattia regions, the following were found:
▪️ forms of fake documents;
▪️ equipment for manufacturing counterfeits and applying holographic protective elements to them;
▪️ seals and stamps used in illegal activities.
Currently, the organizer of the scheme, his “courier” from Buchi, as well as two accomplices from Rivne and Kharkiv have been notified of suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
▪️ Part 3 Art. 358 (forgery of documents, seals, stamps and forms, sale or use of forged documents, seals, stamps);
▪️ ch. 2, 3 Art. 199 (production, storage, acquisition, transportation, forwarding, import into Ukraine for the purpose of use in the sale of goods, sale or sale of counterfeit money, state securities that exist in paper form, state lottery tickets, excise tax stamps or holographic security elements) .
Two of the above-mentioned persons are already in custody. It is also planned to notify another scheme participant from Rivne and a notary from Kharkiv of suspicion.