SSU: Gang of racketeers who terrorised residents of five regions has been detained. Among them is former ’overseer’ of Olenivka penal colony. PHOTOS
The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and the National Police have dismantled a criminal group that sought to intimidate residents across five regions of Ukraine. Twelve members of the gang were detained, including a former "overseer" of the Olenivka penal colony.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to the SSU press centre.
What the investigation found
According to the report, the suspects extorted money from entrepreneurs under the pretext of collecting non-existent debts. If victims refused to pay "tribute," the racketeers threatened them and their relatives with physical violence.
The investigation documented how the gang tried to extort $800,000 from the owners of a family business in Prykarpattia.
In another episode, the gang demanded that a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine hand over his savings. To pressure him, they threatened to "pay a visit" to his relatives and destroy all family property, the report said.
According to case materials, the group’s activities were coordinated by four criminal figures who present themselves as "overseers" of several cities in Ivano-Frankivsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
During the special operation, one of them was detained at the border while attempting to flee to a neighboring EU country.
Other members of the group were arrested at their residences, as well as during the handover of part of the "tribute" extorted from a victim.
Investigators established that, in addition to the four organizers ("overseers"), the gang included other criminals, most of whom had already served prison terms for robbery, extortion, and other serious crimes.
Searches of the defendants
During 28 searches in Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk and Khmelnytskyi regions, law enforcement officers seized:
▪️ nearly 1.5 million hryvnias in cash equivalent and seven luxury cars;
▪️ firearms, smartphones, flash drives, bank cards, draft records, promissory notes from victims, and other material evidence.
The detainees have been served with notices of suspicion under Part 4 of Article 189 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code (extortion committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy during martial law).
Authorities are also considering additional charges under Articles 255-1 and 255-3 of the Criminal Code (establishing or spreading criminal influence, solicitation for the use of criminal influence).
What the suspects face
The suspects are currently in custody. They face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
The SSU operation in Ivano-Frankivsk region was carried out jointly with the National Police under the procedural supervision of the regional prosecutor’s office.
