Operative servicemen of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine with the cooperation of Ukrainian and foreign colleagues continues to counteract of international criminal group that related to maritime trafficking of illegal migrants.

Unfortunately, Ukrainians became the victims who involved not only in migrants trafficking, but in boats production, documents falsification and other unlawful actions, as well.

In recent days, State Border Guard Service of Ukraine received confirmation, that Italian coastguard detained yacht, using provided to Europol information about one of watercrafts that could be used for illegal action. Vessel was detected in Roccella Ionica bay. 74 Iraqis passengers were on-board. The crew of the yacht comprised two Ukrainians. Italian police arrested our countrymen for promotion of illegal migration.

It should be reminded, that recently operative servicemen of Azov-Black Sea Regional Directorate with the cooperation of the representatives of the National Police, Department for Combating Human Trafficking and under the procedural guidance of Prosecutor’s Office of Kherson region, exposed organized crime group dealing illegal migration and drug trafficking from Turkey to European Union. One group of сriminals built vessels and produced forged identification documents in Ukraine. Other group recruited people who had financial problems and involved them in unlawful actions. At the end of October Ukrainian human rights defenders detained three members of criminal group. Also there were apprehended yacht with two recruited Ukrainians and their curator, at sea nearby Kherson.

As experience shows, organizers have no interest in illegals and watercrafts destiny. Attitude towards them as made money expendable and could be captured by law enforcement agencies or even get into in a boating accident. Also they didn’t worry about recruited sailors. As an example, about 300 Ukrainians are serving sentences for such crimes in Greek prisons.

And what's interesting is, Ukrainian citizens who carried out illegal migration trafficking to European Union countries, are criminal activity victims according to Ukrainian legislation. They are considered to be recruited and exploited people.

In most cases, offenders use fraudulent methods in order to encourage Ukrainians to commit an illegal acts. People don’t understand primary objective of human transportation by yachts. Also they don’t have any information about negative impact in the case of detention by law enforcement agencies.

For example, for transportation of illegal migrants, criminals are sanctioned with imprisonment from 20 to 280 years – in Greece, up to 5 years – in Italy.

State Border Guard Service of Ukraine with the cooperation of National Police and Europol take active measures on countering specified сriminal activity. Investigation actions are ongoing. The ultimate purpose is bring to justice those responsible, who are implicated in involvement Ukrainians into unlawful activity.

State Border Guard Service of Ukraine appeals to all Ukrainian citizens and request carefully consider suspicious jobs offers, to avoid becoming а victim.