950-million-scheme: illegal andesite mining uncovered in Zakarpattia; regional council deputy is among suspects – National Police. PHOTOS
In Zakarpattia, the police have uncovered illegal andesite mining.
This was reported by Censor.NET, citing the National Police’s communications department.
Details from the police
The volume of illegally mined andesite amounts to over 417,000 cubic metres. The suspects had laundered part of the proceeds from this illegal activity – nearly 100 million hryvnias. Four suspects have been served with notices of suspicion, including a member of the regional council.
The illegal extraction took place during the development of an andesite quarry at a deposit in the Uzhhorod district. The company carrying out the development of the deposit did not have an environmental impact assessment report.
According to the investigation, the managers and co-owners of the company operating the quarry were involved in organising and running the scheme, including a member of the Transcarpathian Regional Council. The company’s chief engineer and the director of another commercial entity were also implicated in the illegal activities.
Each of the suspects was responsible for a specific area of operation: organising the extraction of minerals, determining the locations and volumes of drilling and blasting operations, processing and storing andesite, providing specialist equipment, and the subsequent sale of the illegally extracted products to businesses.
What are the losses to the state?
Between 2025 and 2026, the participants in the scheme illegally extracted over 417,000 cubic metres of andesite. An engineering and environmental assessment established that the losses incurred to the state amounted to 949.8 million hryvnias.
In addition, law enforcement officers established that nearly 98.9 million hryvnias, obtained as a result of the illegal extraction, had been laundered.
Searches and charges
As part of the criminal proceedings, operatives from the National Police’s Strategic Investigations Department, together with regional police investigators, carried out 18 searches at the premises where the companies conducted their business activities, in the vehicles of those involved, and at the business entities to which the illegally extracted andesite was sold.
Furthermore, based on the evidence gathered, four suspects were served with notices of suspicion. A member of the Transcarpathian Regional Council and the chief engineer of the company are charged with violating the rules on the protection or use of subsoil resources, committed by a group of persons acting in prior conspiracy, which resulted in serious consequences – Part 4 of Article 240 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Two further suspects – the director and co-founder of the company, as well as the head of the commercial entity through which the illegally extracted andesite was sold – are charged under Part 4 of Article 240 and Part 3 of Article 209 (laundering of proceeds of crime) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
- The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. The full circle of individuals involved in the scheme is being identified.
- The pre-trial investigation is being conducted under the procedural supervision of the Specialised Environmental Prosecutor’s Office of the Transcarpathian Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
