In Kharkiv region, law enforcement officers exposed a criminal scheme for selling babies to foreigners
Under the guise of a “surrogate motherhood” program, the attackers facilitated the illegal receipt of babies by foreigners. The price of the services of attackers was 60 thousand US dollars.
The criminal scheme was exposed by the employees of the investigative department of the GUNP in the Kharkiv region together with the employees of the Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region under the procedural direction of the Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office.
The investigation established that the criminal group included residents of Kyiv and Kharkiv regions, including heads of one of the capital's centers of reproductive medicine. The attackers helped foreigners to arrange sham marriages with Ukrainian citizens and provided them with forged documents certifying their alleged infertility. This allowed dealers to gain grounds for the official use of assisted reproductive technologies. Further, the attackers found a candidate for “surrogate motherhood” and, despite all medical contraindications, carried out fertilization. After the birth, the sham marriage was broken, and the foreigner formally received the right to take the child abroad.
In addition, negligent attitude of medical workers to their duties, which led to the death of newborns, is documented.
Within the framework of open criminal proceedings, investigators and operatives conducted a number of searches of members of the criminal group. Mobile phones, electronic computer equipment, documentary materials with evidence of illegal activity were seized. A number of examinations were carried out. Investigative and operational actions are ongoing to establish the involvement of members of the criminal group in possible trafficking in human beings and the legal qualification of their actions under Article 149 (Trafficking in Persons) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Currently, the defendants have been informed of the suspicion of having committed a criminal offense under Part 2 of Art. 140 (improper performance of professional duties by a medical or pharmaceutical worker) and Part 1 of Art. 366 (official forgery) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The sanction of the articles provides for up to 3 years in prison, with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to three years.
Police Communication Department of Kharkiv Oblast
(based on the materials of the 3rd department of GV BKOZ)
