Father and son smuggled men in hidden compartments of trucks: they face up to 9 years in prison.

Father and son arranged dangerous hiding places in their trucks in the hydraulic cylinder shafts to smuggle conscript-aged men across the border. However, in Odesa region, border guards caught them red-handed, and the offenders face imprisonment.

This was reported by the Southern Regional Administration of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

Details of the case

During the inspection of two MAN trucks heading to the border with Romania, the border guards had suspicions, leading to a search. As a result, three men from Zaporizhzhia, Khmelnytskyi, and Donetsk regions were found hidden in the telescopic hydraulic cylinder shafts that lift the trailer.

During the journey, the men were seated in the cabins, but as they approached the checkpoints, they crawled into these shafts. There they were among metal moving parts without ventilation, exposing themselves to real danger to their life and health.

What punishment awaits

The transporters have been notified of suspicion under Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Illegal transportation of persons across the state border of Ukraine). They face imprisonment of 7 to 9 years.

The passengers were charged with administrative protocols for illegal border crossing. They face up to 8500 hryvnias in fines or administrative arrest for 15 days.