Demchenko announced that more than 200 groups involved in smuggling people across the border had been uncovered
In the first seven months of 2026, law enforcement officers uncovered more than 200 criminal groups involved in the illegal smuggling of people across Ukraine’s state border.
“Border guards, as before, are focused on exposing all attempts to cross the border illegally. Units from the operational and investigative division are also actively involved in this work, specifically exposing these schemes,” Demchenko said.
According to him, most violators continue to use the services of criminal elements who promise to assist them in illegally crossing the border, and people pay for this.
“Over the first seven months of this year, our operational units, in cooperation with law enforcement agencies, have uncovered more than 200 criminal groups involved in attempting to smuggle people across the border illegally,” the spokesperson said.
These criminal groups consisted of approximately 780 individuals. Both the organizers and accomplices of these criminal groups face criminal liability for these actions.
Andriy Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service, announced this during a briefing at Ukrinform.
