A joint interagency group composed of officers from the Main Operational Search division of Mukachevo Border Guard Detachment, the Strategic Investigations Department in Zakarpattia Oblast, and the Special Investigations Division of the Ukrainian National Police in Zakarpattia Oblast, under the procedural guidance of Zakarpattia Specialized Prosecution Office in Defense Matters, has apprehended three organizers involved in smuggling conscripted men across the border in Zakarpattia.

As part of a criminal investigation initiated on evidence of a crime, the criminals were caught in the act while transporting a young conscripted man in a vehicle for further smuggling across the Ukrainian-Romanian border. According to their plan, the client was supposed to cross the state border via the Tisa River, which currently has a depth of four meters.

The smugglers were apprehended on November 7, 2023, at a distance of 500 meters from the border. They were identified as two residents of Rakhiv, aged 53 and 57. They intended to charge their "client" a sum of $3,000, which included services such as transportation to the border, providing accommodation, and supplying a wetsuit.

The residents from Zakarpattia have been detained, and they have already been served with notifications of suspicion in committing a crime.

If the guilt of the suspects is proven in court, they could face imprisonment for a period ranging from seven to nine years.