In Zakarpattia, a 78-year-old grandfather attempted to escort two draft dodgers to Slovakia

In Zakarpattia, a 78-year-old grandfather attempted to escort two draft dodgers to Slovakia

This is reported by the Western Regional Department of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

During patrolling in a wooded area, law enforcement officers noticed a change in the behavior of the service dog, which picked up the trail of unknown individuals. The four-legged officer led the servicemen to three men attempting to hide among the trees. First, they found an elderly man. He had no documents and claimed to be a local resident. The old man assured the border guards that he had come to the woods to collect birch sap. He even had an empty five-liter bottle with him. However, not far from the elderly man, the border guards discovered two young men, who also turned out to be from Zakarpattia. They confessed that they planned to illegally cross the Ukrainian-Slovak border and that the old man was their guide.

During the investigation, operational staff of the Chop border unit established that the 78-year-old pensioner, for a promised monetary reward from the smugglers, was supposed to meet the "clients" at a designated location and guide them through the forest to the border. The culprits hoped to earn 6,000 US dollars from this.

The identities of the individuals involved in the case have been established. They, along with the elderly man, will have to answer for their actions under the law, according to Article 332 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, "Illegal transportation of persons across the state border of Ukraine." The men who attempted to illegally cross the border were held administratively liable under Part 2 of Article 204-1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of Ukraine, "Illegal crossing or attempt to illegally cross the state border of Ukraine."