A criminal group was exposed in the Ternopil region, whose members were misappropriating drones that arrived in parcels and were intended for the needs of the defenders of Ukraine. This scheme was discovered thanks to the joint efforts of the Cyber Police and the Prosecutor General's Office, which are investigating the criminal case.
Crime details
The attackers, it turned out, acted in the following way: after receiving packages containing drones for the military, they repackaged the shipments, filling the empty containers with junk that was of similar weight and dimensions. They then resold these counterfeit packages over the Internet at prices significantly below market prices.
In addition, the attackers used controlled drop accounts and crypto wallets to process payments. One of the suspects even registered an individual entrepreneur to receive payments. In total, the suspects appropriated the contents of 26 shipments, the value of which was about 6 million UAH.
Searches and seizures
National Police investigators and cyber police operatives conducted 14 searches in the Lviv region and Kyiv. During the searches, 15 mobile phones, computer equipment, 25 bank cards, documents and draft records confirming illegal activities were seized. Digital assets on crypto wallets of the scheme participants were also blocked.
Suspicions and precautions
The persons involved in the case are suspected under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which provides for liability for misappropriation, embezzlement of property or taking possession of it through abuse of official position on an especially large scale. They face up to 12 years in prison with deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities for a term of up to three years and confiscation of property.
The court has currently imposed preventive measures on the suspects in the form of personal recognizance and nightly house arrest. Investigative actions are ongoing, and law enforcement officers are working to identify all individuals involved in this criminal scheme.
