SSU and National Police have uncovered five distribution channels for weapons and explosives in Ukraine. PHOTOS
The Security Service of Ukraine, in conjunction with the National Police, has dismantled a further five networks involved in the illegal sale of weapons, ammunition and explosives in various regions of the country. Law enforcement officers have arrested the organisers of these operations and seized substantial arsenals.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by the SBU press centre.
Among the items seized were Russian-made Kalashnikov assault rifles, grenade launchers, live grenades, homemade explosive devices and nearly 8,000 rounds of ammunition.
‘Trophy’ weapons were being sold in the Poltava region
In the Poltava region, law enforcement officers detained a man who was attempting to sell a consignment of weapons with an estimated value of nearly 1 million hryvnias.
According to the investigation, he was transporting weapons and ammunition from combat zones and storing them in pre-prepared caches.
The suspect was arrested after attempting to sell 23 RPGs, over 1,000 grenade rounds, 17 combat grenades and ammunition of various calibres.
In the Donetsk region, the arsenal was kept in a garage
In the Donetsk region, the SBU’s military counter-intelligence unit uncovered a man who had set up a weapons cache in a rented garage.
According to law enforcement officials, he sought out customers via social media. The arrest took place in Kramatorsk whilst he was attempting to sell a Kalashnikov assault rifle, ammunition for it and over 300 grenade rounds.
In Zakarpattia, a soldier was trading weapons from the front line
In Zakarpattia, law enforcement officers exposed a conscript from Rakhiv who had left his military unit without authorisation and, according to the investigation, decided to organise the illegal sale of weapons taken from the combat zone.
He was arrested on the outskirts of the town whilst selling RGD-5 grenades, 800 grams of TNT with detonators, an RPG-22 and ammunition of various calibres.
In the Zhytomyr region, a former soldier was planning to make money from weapons
A former contract soldier has been arrested in the Zhytomyr region. According to the investigation, after leaving the service, he planned to sell weapons and ammunition taken from combat zones.
During searches, 14 combat grenades, 1.4 kg of gunpowder, nearly 2,500 rounds of 5.45 mm ammunition and a signal pistol, modified to fire live rounds, were seized from him.
A 16-year-old teenager was arrested in Odesa
In Odesa, law enforcement officers caught a 16-year-old student at a vocational college attempting to sell a combat grenade and four homemade explosive devices.
According to the case file, the total explosive power of the devices amounted to almost 1 kg in TNT equivalent. The teenager sought out potential buyers via messaging apps and offered to send ‘orders’ by post.
Those involved face up to seven years’ imprisonment
All those detained have been notified of charges under Part 1 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — unlawful handling of weapons, ammunition or explosive substances.
The penalty under this article provides for up to seven years’ imprisonment.
