Demanded million dollars and sought to seize real estate: criminal group members detained in Odesa. VIDEO+PHOTOS
Law enforcement officers detained members of an organised criminal group who abducted a man, held him captive in Odesa, and used force to make him hand over money and transfer ownership of his property. The gang was led by a so-called crime boss nicknamed "the Italian", and its members included former members of the once well-known Multyk organised crime group.
The National Police reported this, according to Censor.NET.
Details
According to the investigation, the perpetrators terrorised the victim and his wife over an extended period, demanding repayment of a fictitious debt:
- In mid-October, at a computer gaming club in Mykolaiv, a suspect beat the man and threatened him into writing a US$1 million IOU.
- Several days later, during a meeting in Odesa, the organiser demanded money and the transfer of assets, threatening physical violence. Subsequently, two accomplices ambushed the man in a car park near a gym and beat him again. The victim was held under constant guard by a member of the group.
- The attackers seized the man’s identity documents, property documents, and 12 trucks. Some of the trucks were immediately taken away to be dismantled for parts.
The racketeers’ ultimate goal was to transfer ownership of the victim’s Kyiv apartment and a plot of land with a house in Odesa region to themselves.
On November 6, police caught one of the perpetrators "red-handed" during the notarised transfer of ownership of the victim’s land and house. The organiser, "the Italian", and another accomplice were detained the same day.
During searches in Mykolaiv, Odesa and Vinnytsia regions, law enforcement officers seized:
- the victim’s stolen MAN trucks and semi-trailers;
- two passenger cars belonging to the suspects;
- more than UAH 100,000 in Ukrainian and foreign currency;
- three smoothbore hunting shotguns.
On November 7, four members of the group were served with notices of suspicion. The court ordered all suspects held in custody.
