The boatman smuggler and his two "clients" were captured during a border guard operation conducted by the Mohyliv-Podilskyi border guard detachment.

An 18-year-old Moldovan citizen had illegally crossed the border on a rubber boat to pick up two individuals waiting on the Ukrainian side.

Subsequently, it was discovered that residents of Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions had paid $8,000 USD for this unlawful journey.

Border guards, who were monitoring the situation from an ambush, approached to apprehend the individuals as the boat neared the shore. Realizing that he had been exposed, the Moldovan attempted to flee by jumping into the Dnister. However, he stopped when he heard shots fired behind him.

The perpetrators were charged with administrative offenses, which could result in a prison sentence ranging from seven to nine years for such a crime.