Law enforcement officers conducted a large-scale special operation during which they exposed the illegal sale of trophy weapons and ammunition in four regions of Ukraine. During the day, it was possible to detain 15 members of the criminal group. This was reported by the press service of the Security Service of Ukraine.
According to the SBU, the arrested suspects tried to organize the illegal sale of weapons of mass destruction. Russian Kalashnikov assault rifles with "Vognyshche" underbarrel grenade launchers, a batch of fragmentation grenades and explosives were among the items seized from the perpetrators.
Thus, in the Kyiv region, a 31-year-old local resident and four of his accomplices were detained, who traded in "trophy" weapons that were taken out of the areas of former battles on the Eastern Front.
After transporting the arsenals to the capital region, the dealers reportedly restored the combat characteristics of the weapons themselves for sale through personal connections in criminal circles.
Also, in the Kyiv region, law enforcement officers neutralized two more criminal groups that tried to secretly sell a Kalashnikov machine gun, an RPG-7B hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher with shots and cartridges of various calibers.
In Odesa, another dealer who wanted to sell improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and combat grenades was arrested red-handed.
At the scene, almost 1 kg of TNT, home-made explosives and a batch of F-1 and RGD grenades were seized from the perpetrator.
In Chernihiv, law enforcement officers detained three more members of a criminal group who were looking for customers for the sale of automatic weapons and explosives.
In Lutsk, a local resident was exposed to the crime of trying to sell combat grenades. In the case of successful implementation of the means of destruction, he wanted to "cover the traces" and demanded payment through "anonymous" payment systems.
According to the revealed facts, the detainees were notified of suspicion under Art. 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal handling of firearms, ammunition or explosives).
The perpetrators are in custody. They face up to 7 years in prison.
