Group of district TCR servicemen detained in Odesa for abducting man and demanding $30,000 – Prosecutor General’s Office. PHOTO
The SSU (State Security Service of Ukraine) Main Internal Security Directorate and the National Police, with the assistance of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the leadership of the Ground Forces, have neutralized an organized criminal group in Odesa that included employees of the local Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to the SSU press center.
What did the investigation establish?
As noted, the suspects extorted money from people. If they refused, they used violence and threatened to send the victims to the front line as "assault troops" on an expedited basis.
According to the case materials, the extortion took place directly inside a TCR and SS service minivan, into which the victims were forced.
"SSU officers, with the involvement of special forces, caught all members of the group red-handed while they were abducting another local resident and extorting money from him.
During the arrest, the suspects physically resisted law enforcement officers. SSU special forces used weapons, shooting at the wheels of the vehicle in which the group members were trying to flee. No one sustained gunshot wounds," the statement says.
They acted on a "tip-off"
It was documented that the perpetrators acted on a "tip-off" from a local resident who was serving at a TCR and SS. He identified potential victims, found out about their financial situation, and routes of movement.
The suspects then tracked the victims and attacked them прямо in the street or on highways.
They used two service minivans for the raids: in one, they held the victims, while the group in the second vehicle monitored the situation around them.
- All detainees are currently being prepared notices of suspicion under Part 4 of Article 189 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (extortion causing property damage on an especially large scale, or committed by an organized group under martial law).
- The issue of choosing a preventive measure is being decided. The perpetrators face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
They demanded $30,000 from a man
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, on April 21 in Odesa, they abducted a man on Prokhorovska Street. The victim was forcibly put into a bus and driven around the city. During the unlawful detention, he was subjected to physical and psychological pressure, threatened with violence, beaten, and ordered to pay $30,000.
During the special operation, SSU officers detained five people. Among them were four employees of the district TCR and SS.
Background
- Earlier, media reported that the SSU and KORD had detained TCR and SS servicemen in Odesa. Media reports said they had demanded $50,000 from a former serviceman.
- Subsequently, the Odesa TCR confirmed the detention of the military personnel: We are interested in an objective investigation.
