For $7,000 to Slovakia: border guards in Zakarpattia have uncovered illegal smuggling ring. PHOTOS
Operational staff from the Chop Border Guard Detachment uncovered and dismantled a network involved in the illegal smuggling of people across the Ukrainian-Slovak border.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by the State Border Guard Service.
Details
On the outskirts of the village of Onokivtsi in the Uzhhorod district, border guards detained two Ukrainian citizens who were attempting to smuggle a man of conscription age across the state border. According to the organisers’ plan, the illegal crossing was to take place within the area of responsibility of the ‘Novoselytsia’ border guard unit.
The organiser of the scheme turned out to be a 23-year-old resident of Uzhhorod. He enlisted the help of a 28-year-old accomplice, who was responsible for transporting the ‘clients’, collecting payments and providing instructions on how to behave in the event of a possible encounter with law enforcement officers and during the illegal border crossing.
They recruited people via social media. The cost of the illegal crossing was US$7,000 per person.
Whilst documenting the criminal activity, law enforcement officers recorded the handover of part of the funds. During an urgent search and inspection of the scene, a further US$3,200, three mobile phones and a car were seized.
The organiser and his accomplice were arrested and placed in a temporary detention centre. They have been notified of the charges against them.
Following a court ruling, both suspects have been remanded in custody for 60 days, with the possibility of bail.
The investigation is ongoing.
