Young Ukrainians were smuggled by train drivers in locomotives running to Przemyśl. Border guards from Medyka in the Podkarpacie region, working with the police, dismantled the smuggling channel.
Lieutenant Piotr Zakielarz, spokesperson for the Bieszczady Border Guard Unit, reported that officers in Medyka uncovered the scheme in 2024. Two Ukrainian railway train drivers were detained in the case and charged with participating in an organized criminal group and organizing illegal crossings of Poland’s border.
According to Marta Pętkowska, spokesperson for the District Prosecutor’s Office in Przemyśl, the train drivers face up to 8 years in prison.
The men denied the charges. An indictment will be filed against them. The investigation established that the suspects collected at least $10,000 per person smuggled.
Prosecutor Pętkowska added that the case is ongoing and further arrests cannot be ruled out. “During the investigation, we requested legal assistance from the Ukrainian side,” she noted.
They Wanted to Avoid Military Service
Lieutenant Zakielarz reported that two Ukrainian citizens who used this smuggling route to enter the EU have also been detained.
“The Ukrainians were arrested in Poland and charged with illegally crossing the border using deception and acting in cooperation with other individuals,” the BOSG spokesperson emphasized.
Both men admitted to the charges and explained that their motive was to avoid conscription into the army.
In this case, border guards worked with officers from the Criminal Division of the Provincial Police Headquarters in Rzeszów under the supervision of the District Prosecutor’s Office in Przemyśl.