Disclosure in Kyiv region: a group led by a Chinese recruited and exploited Uzbek citizens in conditions of forced labor
19 September 2025 18:10
The Kyiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office exposed a criminal group consisting of two Chinese citizens, a citizen of Uzbekistan and a Ukrainian woman. They organized the recruitment and transportation of 13 Uzbek citizens to Kyiv region for labor exploitation.
This was reported by the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Proceedings over this fact were opened under Part 2 of Article 149 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (human trafficking).
Methods of recruitment and exploitation
- The suspects used fraud and coercion to recruit socially vulnerable people in difficult living and financial conditions.
- Victims were searched for outside Ukraine and illegally transferred to the territory of Kyiv region.
- Restrictions on freedom of movement and coercion were used to control them.
- The conditions of detention were inhumane: even visits to the restroom were regulated by a strict schedule, and violations were punishable by fines.
Law enforcement actions
on September 17, 2025, authorized searches were conducted at the suspects’ residences and business facilities.
- A room was found where 13 Uzbek citizens were being held in the most terrible conditions.
- Two Chinese citizens, one Uzbek citizen and a Ukrainian woman were detained and served with a notice of suspicion of a serious crime.
- The choice of preventive measures is currently being decided.
The role of law enforcement agencies in the investigation
The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by the Investigation Department of the Main Department of the National Police in Kyiv Region with the operational support of the Migration Police Department of the National Police of Ukraine. The Prosecutor’s Office provides procedural guidance in the case.
We remind you that human trafficking, especially in the form of forced labor, remains a serious problem in Ukraine, especially in the context of growing migration. Victims are often socially disadvantaged and vulnerable groups from other countries who are recruited with promises of jobs and better minds, but instead are held in captivity and exploited.
Economic hardship, lack of legal employment and housing make these people particularly vulnerable to manipulation by criminal groups. Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, together with international partners, are actively working to expose and stop such schemes.
Cases like these draw public attention to the importance of combating human trafficking, protecting migrants’ rights, and expanding the social support system for vulnerable groups.
