Illegal escape from Ukraine: 100 men and million-dollar smuggling ring

In one day, nearly 100 men attempted to leave Ukrainian territory illegally. They all used the services of a criminal group that charged between $5,000 to $18,500 per person.

The Ukrainian State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) stated, "On June 21, 2024, DBR officers documented an attempt to smuggle about 100 people across the state border. Four minibuses with 47 people were stopped. The remaining 53 people did not make it to the gathering point."

The arrest took place in the Odessa region, which borders Romania and Moldova. Among the criminal group organizing this operation was a law enforcement officer. His role was to advise the drivers, tasked with transporting the men, on how to avoid road checkpoints.

This illegal "business" was organized by a resident of the Odessa region in May 2024. His task was to find men who wanted to leave Ukraine illegally to avoid being drafted into the army. He searched for them on social media and collected fees. The men were to be transported to the state border and then cross it on foot.

The DBR explained that, depending on their financial capability, each "client" paid between $5,000 to $18,500. "Just from this batch of escapees, the traffickers expected to earn about $1 million," the DBR emphasized.

Members of the criminal group were detained. For illegal human smuggling across the border, they face up to nine years in prison. The DBR also informed that the detained escapees, who were over 25 years old and subject to army mobilization, were transported to the military enlistment office.