In Odessa, a criminal organization was exposed that, disguised as a civil society organization and operating under the guise of a volunteer corps, sold "protection" to men against mobilization.

The head of the civil organization, his two deputies, and two other members worked with officials from the TCK and SP Odessa region to organize a system for avoiding conscription. People with the organization’s ID card were not conscripted.

The system included „tariffs.” For $1,000, the person received a membership card of the civil organization, but was obliged to patrol the city together with the TCK. For $3,000, they received a „VIP package,” which did not require them to perform any service. The list of services also included „removal from search” through unauthorized changes to information systems and „resolution of issues” in the event of arrest,” said the head of the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office.

All participants were added to a Telegram channel, where they were informed about the TCK’s position and the steps to be taken during checks. The monthly „subscription fee” for joining the Telegram group was 3,000 hryvnia. Those who refused to pay were threatened with conscription.

The investigation confirmed that during the special operation, individuals with „UCM” civil society ID cards avoided mobilization during inspections. In addition, 40,000 hryvnia and 3,000 US dollars were recorded as having been received for the issuance of such certificates and the further distribution of the money among the organizers.

In the exposed scheme, traders earned up to 30 million hryvnia per month. In the Odessa region alone, the organization had about 300 members, while in Ukraine as a whole, there were 1,500.

Sixty-four house searches were carried out. More than 1.6 million hryvnia in various currencies, six firearms, 38 hand grenades, six cars, and dozens of certificates and seals were seized.