Law enforcers established that three residents of Rakhiv district were involved in the organization of the illegal "transfer".
The dealers drove their "clients" a few kilometers to the border line, and then accompanied them on foot along a pre-prepared route through forest paths.
The cost of such a service was estimated by the defendants at UAH 4 thousand. US dollars from one "evader".
According to intelligence, the offenders used this scheme to transport about 20 people every month.
Law enforcers detained the organizer of the scheme and two of his accomplices while trying to smuggle five "evaders" for a monetary reward of 19 thousand US dollars.
All three were served notices of suspicion under Part 3 of Art. 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal transportation of persons across the state border).
Investigative actions are underway to establish all the circumstances of the offense.
The operation was carried out by the SSU Office in Zakarpattia region jointly with officers of the Main Operational and Investigative Department of the 27th Border Guard Detachment, investigators of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Zakarpattia region under the procedural supervision of Zakarpattia Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Defence of Western Region.
Note: According to the first part of Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until his or her guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a court verdict of guilty.