Law enforcement officers have dismantled a criminal organization created by two former guards of the capital's pre-trial detention center. After their release from prison, they and ten accomplices expanded their activities in the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions.
The press service of the National Police of Ukraine reported on the exposure of the group. According to the investigation, while behind bars, the organizers established channels for supplying prohibited items to the detention center and controlled the internal criminal hierarchy. After their release, they expanded their activities.
The most high-profile episode was the kidnapping of a Chinese citizen. According to the investigation, the attackers invited the foreigner to Ukraine, allegedly to invest in a business, met him in Lviv, and then forcibly took him to a rented house in the Zhytomyr region. The victim was held there for three days, seeking access to his bank accounts. As a result, 28 thousand US dollars were transferred.
In addition, according to police information, members of the group illegally seized a BMW X7 car using violence, committed robberies and assaults in Kyiv and the region, extorted money under the guise of non-existent debts, involved a minor in criminal activity, and used firearms, in particular an AK-74 assault rifle.
During more than 20 searches, law enforcement officers seized automatic weapons, pistols, knives, and more than 90 rounds of ammunition. One of the organizers tried to leave the territory of Ukraine, but was detained a few kilometers from the border with Moldova.
Most of the defendants are currently being held without bail. They are charged with creating a criminal organization, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, and spreading criminal influence. The articles carry penalties of up to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property.
The police note that this special operation is part of a systematic work to combat organized crime. Earlier, law enforcement officers reported the exposure of an interregional gang suspected of extorting $800,000 from a couple from Ivano-Frankivsk region, as well as the liquidation of a large-scale channel for smuggling prohibited substances.
Law enforcement officials emphasize that the fight against criminal groups continues in various regions of the country.
