As part of an ongoing operation to counter violations of the state border, border guards of the Chernivtsi detachment uncovered an extremely unconventional method of illegal crossing between Ukraine and Moldova
On April 17, during patrols at the "Mamalyha" checkpoint near the Moldovan border, a border patrol stopped a freight truck with a tanker that was transporting vegetable oil for inspection. During a thorough search of the vehicle, border guards discovered a shocking find — a man was suspended inside a specially equipped compartment of cylindrical construction, inconspicuously attached to a hatch, fully submerged in liquid up to his chest and secured with safety belts. According to reports from the press service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the incident occurred during an attempt to illegally cross the border into Moldova. The individual, a Ukrainian citizen born in 1982 and a resident of the Odessa region, organized this scheme to avoid lawful processing. According to border officers, he coordinated with the driver, who was operating the truck, and asked to be transported in the tank filled with oil. The method, the State Border Guard Service notes, was chosen to evade detection at standard crossing points. Official information indicates that the route started in Vinnytsia region and ended at the Ukrainian-Moldovan border. The driver, a Moldovan citizen, was also detained for attempting to assist in the illegal crossing of the state border. The circumstances suggest that he acted in agreement with the Ukrainian national, who risked his life and freedom to illegally enter the neighboring country. Currently, an administrative protocol has been drawn up against the offender for attempting an illegal border crossing. The foreign driver is held in detention in accordance with applicable law. Meanwhile, investigations continue; law enforcement agencies are establishing all the circumstances of the case and possible connections within the criminal scheme, which poses a threat to the integrity of the state border and the country’s security. This situation once again demonstrates how clever and risky the organizers of illegal migration schemes are, and how important the vigilance of border guards remains. They emphasize that such methods of illegal border crossing require constant enhancement of security measures and increased control on all fronts. While Ukrainian agencies strengthen their efforts to counter violations, criminals do not cease attempting to find new ways to circumvent laws and cross the national border, thereby jeopardizing national security and the integrity of the country’s borders.