A Ukrainian woman who fled the war to the Czech Republic became a serious criminal: now the woman must spend three years behind bars and pay 30,000 euros to the republic – not legally binding.
Before the Russian war of aggression on her homeland, Oksana S., together with a son (14) and her husband, fled from Ukraine to Ostrava (Czech: Ostrava) in the Moravia-Silesia region in the northeastern part of the Czech Republic. But while her eldest son bravely defended his homeland against Russian troops as a soldier at home, his mother became a criminal.
She was hired as a smuggler by a Ukrainian named Anton who lives in Bulgaria. In any case, in September and October last year, the woman not only worked as a tow truck driver, but also drove vehicles ahead to warn touts about police checks. “I only did it because my financial situation was critical,” the tearful woman said in court.
arrest upon entry
But that ended in October last year. When she once again drove a small truck full of illegal migrants across the border to Austria at the infamous “smuggler hotspot” on Neckenmarkt, the handcuffs clicked for S. Since then, the woman has been in custody, where she will probably celebrate her 55th birthday in a few weeks. “celebrate” – all alone, without her family.
30,000 euros “wage” secured, 60,000 suspected
According to the prosecution, the 54-year-old transported at least 67 illegal immigrants from Hungary to Austria. A minimum of 30,000 euros was deposited into three accounts as ‘wage’. “As of September, we found 46,000 messages related to smuggling on the woman’s mobile phone,” said one of the investigators at the trial of S. in Eisenstadt.
And further: “The payments have started for that, but we have not been able to find any incriminating chats.” That means in simple terms: the woman probably worked as a smuggler before. The agent called as a witness in any case assumed more than 60,000 euros in “earnings” and dragging a maximum of 160 people. In addition, chat messages suggest that the Ukrainian also hired other drivers and was responsible for distributing the “car wages”.
Shocked defendants
After a short deliberation, the jury delivered its – not yet final – verdict. Oksana must go to prison for three years (maximum sentence is ten years) and pay 30,000 euros to the Republic. When the verdict was announced, S. burst into sobs and expressed suicidal intentions. Her lawyer tried to calm the woman down. The unscrupulous smuggler is now under special surveillance by the prison guards.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
