Illegal Foreigner Legalization Channel Shut Down
Authorities in Kyiv have broken up a large-scale operation that illegally legalized foreigners through fake companies and sham charities. The scheme was orchestrated by a 45-year-old Kyiv resident, who worked alongside a 36-year-old lawyer's assistant. Their services ranged in price from $2,000 to $6,000 per client. The criminals would place foreigners on payrolls of non-existent businesses to obtain visas, and used connections within the State Migration Service to secure temporary residence permits.
Operation Details and Aftermath
During the operation, investigators documented the legalization of three individuals, including two citizens of the Russian Federation who entered Ukraine posing as volunteers invited by a fictitious charitable foundation. In total, more than 100 foreigners used the ring's services, highlighting the extensive scale of the crime. The mastermind was arrested while collecting another cash payment, and police executed 10 searches.
Items seized during the searches included:
- over $56,000 in cash;
- approximately 280,000 Ukrainian hryvnias;
- more than 5,000 euros;
- 4,000 Polish zloty;
- electronics, storage devices, documents, company seals, and a vehicle.
The organizer and his accomplice have been charged under Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal transportation of persons across Ukraine's state border), with the organizer additionally charged under Part 3 of Article 369-2 (abuse of influence). The organizer has been placed in pretrial detention.
Police are now preparing documents to revoke the residence permits and impose entry bans on all foreigners who used the illegal service. The report also mentions other cases, including a 33-year-old organizer who used fake companies and a law firm, and a 49-year-old Kyiv resident who ran a scheme providing documents for foreigners for $1,700 each.
This operation underscores Ukrainian law enforcement's ongoing efforts to combat illegal immigration and fraudulent legalization schemes targeting foreigners.
Because such channels can threaten national security, continued police monitoring and swift action against these offenses remain critical. Investigations into these cases may lead to further arrests and the exposure of additional criminal networks, which in turn will help tighten control over migration processes in the country.
In a related development, authorities have also dismantled a significant human smuggling operation in Kyiv, highlighting the ongoing efforts to combat illegal immigration and trafficking networks in the region. This crackdown underscores the growing concern over such criminal activities and their impact on national security.