18+ VIDEO: 34 Ukrainians Attempting to Illegally Cross Border Beaten and Arrested

A minibus carrying 34 men attempting to illegally cross the border into Romania has been intercepted in the Chernivtsi region of Ukraine. This information was reported by the press service of Ukraine's State Border Guard Service, as conveyed by RBK.

Ukrainian border guards and security service personnel stopped the minibus near the "Porubne" checkpoint, where 34 individuals were found in the cargo area. During the arrest, the border violators "behaved defiantly and did not comply with the legal demands of the border guards," prompting law enforcement to "resort to physical force."

It turned out that the passengers of the minibus were Ukrainian citizens, aged 25-40, from 12 different regions. Each passenger had paid 10,000 euros to be smuggled into Romania, bypassing border crossings. The minibus was driven by a man previously suspected of orchestrating illegal human trafficking; he gathered his clients with the help of one of the messaging platforms.

The organizer faces a prison sentence of three to nine years under Article 332 of the Criminal Code (illegal transportation of individuals across the state border). Administrative proceedings have been initiated against the other detainees. Earlier, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported the arrest of five men who were heading toward the Ukraine-Georgia border, accompanied by a 15-year-old minor who was well-acquainted with the border area. According to border guard data, the men had paid between $3,500 and $4,000 for assistance in crossing the border illegally. The minor has been handed over to his parents, while administrative records have been drawn up against the detainees. Authorities are searching for the organizer of the attempted border crossing.