On September 4-5, 2025, law enforcement officers conducted large-scale operations in several regions of Ukraine, detaining 12 members of a criminal group that terrorized residents and entrepreneurs of Ivano-Frankivsk region. This was reported by Detective-Info, citing data from the National Police, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the Prosecutor General's Office.
According to the Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police, the gang was led by the so-called "watchman" for the city of Kolomyia and the Kolomyia district, and his accomplices were individuals with criminal experience. During the searches, about UAH 1.5 million in cash and seven premium cars were seized. Some of the detainees, including the former watchman for the Olenivka colony, face additional charges under the "anti-theft law."
As of September 8, ten suspects were taken into custody, and another was remanded in custody with the possibility of bail.
In addition to the "overseer" for Kolomyia, the leading roles in the criminal scheme were played by the "overseer" for the city of Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk region, his "right-hand man" and a criminal authority from Kamianske-Podilskyi.
The editorial staff of Detective-Info managed to identify seven people involved in the gang: Yaroslav Kovbel (released on bail of 600 thousand UAH), Serhiy Dokan, Taras Shkriblyak, Dmytro Zuzyak, as well as the candidate for People's Deputy and former head of the Kyiv "Batkivshchyna Moloda" Oleksiy Zakharchenko, and former employees of the security company "LV Group" Serhiy Kucher and Oleksandr Alifanov.
Kucher and Alifanov had criminal problems before - in 2017 they were detained for a series of robberies and illegal weapons trafficking, but the case was reclassified as hooliganism, and in 2022 they were released from punishment. After that, Alifanov returned to the professional ring and in September 2023 scored a knockout in Odessa.
The SBU and the National Police emphasize that the disclosure of this group is an example of coordination between law enforcement agencies to combat organized crime and protect businesses and the population from extortion.
