A scheme for illegally smuggling men of military age across the border has been uncovered in Transcarpathia. In the Rakhiv district, law enforcement officers detained a group of local residents who were helping conscripts avoid mobilization for a considerable amount of money.
The investigation found that a 23-year-old and a 21-year-old residents of the region organized a channel for illegal border crossings to Romania. They estimated their services at 11 thousand euros for each "client".
For this money, the men were given detailed instructions and were also personally transported to the border: first by car to the village of Bohdan, and then by motorcycle to the border strip, from where they were to enter the neighboring country.
The police caught the perpetrators red-handed — during another attempt to smuggle a fugitive. During an on-site inspection, law enforcement officers seized money, a car, a motorcycle, and mobile phones used to organize the crime.
Criminal proceedings have been initiated under Part 3 of Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine for the illegal smuggling of persons across the state border of Ukraine, committed for selfish motives.
Operational measures are currently underway to identify other possible accomplices in the scheme. The suspects face up to nine years in prison.
