In Transcarpathia, organizers of illegal transportation of men across the border disguised themselves in police uniforms and used vehicles with a green stripe resembling that of armored cash transport trucks.
According to the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGSU), the organizers attempted to escape from the border guards in such a vehicle but crashed into a concrete pillar, resulting in serious injuries to one person.
The border guards noted that the "Volkswagen T5" used by one of the smugglers to transport clients to the border was stopped at a checkpoint; however, the driver ignored the demand and sped off towards the village of Nyzhnya Apsha.
"The border guards began to pursue the fugitive, who ultimately lost control and crashed at high speed into a concrete pillar. He then exited the vehicle and attempted to flee the scene. One of his passengers, a resident of Donetsk region, sustained severe injuries in the accident. With multiple fractures and bruises, the man spent a day in intensive care. His health condition is now stable," the SBGSU reported.
The driver was apprehended by the border guards - he was dressed in a police uniform. "According to the plan of the disguised 'law enforcement officer', the white color of the vehicle with a green stripe, similar to that of cash transport vehicles, along with the driver in police attire, was meant to divert the attention of border guards at checkpoints. Thus, the smuggler attempted to transport his clients to the border area," the SBGSU stated.
The border guards found another individual in the vehicle's cabin, besides the injured resident of Donetsk region, who was from the city of Vysheve (Kyiv region) and Kryvyi Rih (Dnipropetrovsk region). The men revealed that for the illegal border crossing, one had paid $12,000, while the other was paid for by his mother with 9,500 euros.
The SBGSU noted that upon inspecting the trunk of the foreign vehicle, they discovered life jackets and wetsuits, which the offenders were apparently planning to use to swim across the Tisza River.
Shortly after, law enforcement identified another individual involved in this scheme of transporting conscripted men, and both he and the driver were detained. They have already been informed of the suspicion of committing a crime under Article 332 of the Criminal Code - illegal transportation of persons across the state border.
Draft Dodgers at the Border
On November 7, SBGSU spokesperson Colonel Andriy Demchenko stated that since the beginning of the full-scale war, more than 40 people have died while attempting to cross difficult mountainous areas or borders by rivers.
There are intriguing stories, particularly one where a man tried to swim across the Tisza River to escape mobilization but was apprehended by border guards and is now serving in the SBGSU.