SPAK has completed its investigations and sent for trial three Ukrainian citizens accused of human trafficking and exploitation within a structured criminal group.
The defendants are Nazar Khamuilo and Mark Petrenko, both with a security measure of “prison arrest”, as well as Karol Oskiera, for whom the same security measure has been imposed, but has not yet been executed. They are accused of “trafficking in adult persons”, “structured criminal group” and “committing criminal offenses by a criminal organization”.
The investigation began in November 2024 after a complaint from the Ukrainian Embassy in Albania, which reported that a Ukrainian citizen was being held and forced to work against his will in Vlora. During the searches, several premises were discovered with Ukrainian citizens working on laptops sending messages to recruit other people into drug trafficking networks in Eastern Europe.
According to SPAK, people were recruited through the Telegram application, with the promise of work in Poland, but were then sent to Albania where they were held under pressure and threats. Electronic devices and 24 passports of foreign citizens were seized in three premises in Vlora.
Meanwhile, SPAK has requested the dismissal of charges against three other people involved in this proceeding. The investigation was conducted in cooperation with the US DEA and Ukrainian authorities.
SPAK announcement:
SPAK sends to court the proceedings against three Ukrainian citizens accused of human trafficking and exploitation
The Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption and Organized Crime completed the investigations and has sent to the Special Court of First Instance the request for the trial of criminal proceedings no. 18/1 of 2025, against three Ukrainian citizens accused:
Nazar Khamuilo, currently under the personal security measure of "prison arrest" and accused of committing the criminal offense of "Trafficking in adult persons", committed in collaboration in the special form of a structured criminal group, "Structured criminal group" and "Commitment of criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group", provided for by articles 28/4, 110/a first paragraph, 333/a/1 and 334/1 of the Criminal Code.
Mark Petrenko with the security measure "arrest in prison" and accused of committing the criminal offense of "Trafficking in adult persons", committed in collaboration in the special form of a structured criminal group, "Structured criminal group" and "Commitment of criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group", provided for by articles 28/4, 110/a first paragraph, 333/a/2 and 334/1 of the Criminal Code.
Karol Oskiera, with an unexecuted security measure of "prison arrest", accused of committing the criminal offense of "Trafficking in adult persons", committed in collaboration in the special form of a structured criminal group, "Structured criminal group" and "Committing criminal offenses by a criminal organization and a structured criminal group", provided for by articles 28/4, 110/a first paragraph, 333/a/2 and 334/1 of the Criminal Code.
The special prosecutors in the case requested the dismissal of the charges against the other three citizens, part of this criminal proceeding:
Oleh Kulsha, Marianna Syzareva, Oleksander Tavorskyi.
Circumstances of the facts:
On November 11, 2024, an electronic complaint was filed with the Vlora Local Police Directorate by the Embassy of Ukraine in Albania, according to which the Ukrainian citizen, Mr. M, was suspected of being held and forced to work against his will in Vlora. After verifications, the police initially located a rented apartment in the “Demokracia” neighborhood, where they found several Ukrainian citizens with laptops, who were working on various applications. They were sending messages and links through automated programs, with the aim of recruiting other people for the processing, transportation and sale of narcotics in various countries of Eastern Europe. It has been proven that this criminal group located in Albania is part of a larger international narcotics trafficking group, which operates in several countries of the former Soviet Union.
Electronic devices were seized at the scene and it was found that the passports of most of the people were missing. The investigation revealed the modus operandi of the organizers and supervisors who, under the pressure of violence and threats, deprived them of the opportunity to leave their jobs and Albania. They were constantly shown videos of violence against other members of the group, who did not achieve results at work. The recruited people were not aware of the true nature of the work and were subjected to polygraph tests at the recruitment stage. Three premises were discovered in Vlora where the recruited people were kept in living and working conditions. In total, 24 passports of foreign citizens who are suspected of having worked in these three premises for several weeks or months were found and seized.
Citizen ZM and other people were recruited through the Telegram application with the promise of an office job in Poland. After an interview and a polygraph test, conducted in Warsaw, they were sent to Albania. In Albania, everyone was forced to use pseudonyms and not call each other by their given names. The investigations managed to identify all the people behind each pseudonym and more specifically; Nazar Khamuilo had the pseudonym (“Kika”), Mark Petrenko was (“Friday”) and Karol Oskiera was (“Veterinarian”).
The Special Prosecutor's Office against Corruption and Organized Crime, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in the United States, and the Ukrainian Judicial Authorities for their prompt assistance and support in the detection of persons involved in the recruitment and exploitation of young people to become part of the criminal group.
