Ukraine's SBU Dismantled Prostitution Network Immigration Officers: Assisting Domestic Clients, The Turnover Is IDR 19 Billion Per Month

Illustration of arrest by Ukrainian SBU. (Wikimedia Commons/Security Service of Ukraine)

JAKARTA - Ukraine's SBU security service said on Wednesday it had dismantled a prostitution network run by immigration officers, part of efforts to eradicate corrupt practices and meet Western standards in eradicating corruption.

The SBU said the gang was led by officials of the National Police Migration Department, who are usually responsible for safeguarding the interests of the refugees.

The agency showed photos of uniformed officers storming a building and detaining several men in a room as well as large amounts of cash and photos of young women sitting on the sofa in an apartment.

"This senior official oversees a broad protection scheme for prostitution in Kyiv and in other regions," the SBU statement said.

Furthermore, it was explained that the prostitution business resulted in a monthly income of approximately Rp. 19,372,600,000.

The scheme preys on women aged 18-30 "in vulnerable emotional circumstances", with victims sent to clients at home and outside Ukraine and abroad. The costs vary, from US$20 to US$ 270.

Separately, in the evening video address President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the security services for their "fast reaction to this embarrassing development".

The Russian invasion pushed more than 7 million people out of Ukraine, according to UN figures, although nearly half later returned home.