"Wedding" traffic in Odesa: SBGS exposes dealers who sold fake marriages to foreigners for $4,000

"Wedding" traffic in Odesa: SBGS exposes dealers who sold fake marriages to foreigners for $4,000

Representatives of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, together with the police, uncovered a group of individuals who organized a mechanism for legalizing foreigners through fictitious marriages with Ukrainian women. This scheme was exposed in Odesa, where fake marriages were arranged for citizens of a neighboring country in exchange for monetary compensation.

Information about the uncovering of the scheme was published on the official channel of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. The report states that officers from the Information and Analytical Support and Criminal Analysis Department of the Southern Regional Directorate of the State Border Guard Service, along with law enforcement, were involved in the operation. The service emphasized that the actions of the scheme’s participants are subject to criminal liability, and the investigation is ongoing.

Mechanism of fictitious marriages

According to the investigation, the group members found Ukrainian women who agreed to enter into fictitious marriages with foreigners. Formally, everything appeared as a standard marriage registration, but in reality, the goal was to obtain legal status. After this, the foreigners could apply for temporary or permanent residence permits and cross the Ukrainian border without obstacles.

The cost of such services ranged from 2,000 to 4,000 dollars per person, depending on the conditions and processing time. Law enforcement detained two women and one man, who are considered the main organizers of the scheme. Currently, investigative actions are being conducted with them, and the issue of selecting preventive measures is being resolved.