Ukraine's Border guards detained a clergyman of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church who allegedly tried to smuggle a draft-age man across the border in exchange for money, the agency reported on Aug. 19.
According to the border service, the incident took place in western Uzhhorod district of Zakarpattia Oblast, where guards stopped a Mercedes heading toward the Slovak border. The driver, a 50-year-old monk, presented clerical identification from a monastery in Zakarpattia Oblast.
During inspection, officers discovered another man hidden in the car. The priest had concealed the passenger under his robes on the back seat to bypass checkpoints. The passenger turned out to be a 41-year-old resident of Sumy Oblast.
The driver admitted he had agreed to transport the man to the border for a promised payment of $10,000, to be settled after a successful crossing. He had picked him up in Kyiv before hiding him under liturgical clothing.
A police investigative team was dispatched to the scene. Authorities stated that the cleric's actions show signs of a criminal offense under Article 332, Part 3 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, which deals with the illegal transportation of people across the state border. The passenger also faces administrative charges for their attempt to cross the border unlawfully.
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