Arson and extortion: a group pressuring business owners has been exposed in the Kyiv region. PHOTOS
Prosecutors from the Kyiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, in collaboration with the police, have uncovered and dismantled an organised criminal group operating in Kyiv and the surrounding region.
According to the investigation, between 2025 and 2026, seven men from the city of Malyn in Zhytomyr region committed serious property offences – extortion and arson, particularly targeting businesses, reports Censor.NET.
What is known?
Among the documented incidents are the arson of the victim’s flat door and an attempt to set fire to his car.
The group’s organiser coordinated the activities of the so-called ‘enforcement unit’, which consisted of individuals with previous convictions. The group’s members acted as perpetrators, couriers, coordinators of the crimes themselves, and those responsible for intimidating the victims.
The members of the organised group carefully planned every detail and action: they scouted the area for CCTV cameras, security personnel, etc., and worked out their approach and escape routes, as well as methods of concealment. The gang members always used different vehicles and tracked the victims using GPS trackers. To enable the suspects to move around at night, during curfew, they used fake IDs of various law enforcement officers and passes.
On 7 April 2026, law enforcement officers carried out 34 searches in the Kyiv and Zhytomyr regions and in the capital. Firearms, bladed weapons, grenades, concealment equipment, forged documents, mobile phones, cash and vehicles were seized.
Six suspects were detained, and a further one has been placed on the wanted list. They have been notified of the charges against them. Preventive measures have been imposed on the suspects.
Investigations are ongoing to establish all the circumstances and other aspects of the criminal activity.
