The SBU detained the “examiner” for the Olenivska colony and its accomplices, who terrorized residents of 5 regions of Ukraine

The Security Service of Ukraine, together with the National Police, eliminated a criminal group that terrorized residents of five regions of Ukraine at once. As a result of a large-scale special operation detained 12 members of the gang, including the former “smotryachy” by Olenivska colony.

According to the investigation, the members of the group demanded money from entrepreneurs, allegedly under the guise of returning non-existent debts. In case of refusal to pay “tribute” they threatened both the victims themselves and their relatives with physical violence. An episode was recorded when criminals tried to “knock out” 800,000 US dollars from family business owners in Prykarpattia.

In another case, the bandits demanded that the serviceman of the Armed Forces hand over his savings to them. In order to put pressure on them, they announced their intention to “visit” to his relatives and destroy all family property. The case materials indicate that the activities of the group were coordinated by four criminal authorities who positioned themselves as “watchers” for several cities of Ivano-Frankivsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

During the operation, one of the organizers was detained directly at the border when he tried to escape to the EU country. Other participants were taken during searches at the place of residence, as well as when receiving part of the “tribute” from the victim. In addition to the four “watchers”, the gang also included other criminals, most of whom had already served sentences for robbery, extortion and other serious crimes.

During 28 searches in the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk and Khmelnytskyi regions, almost 1.5 million hryvnias in various currencies, seven premium cars, firearms, mobile phones, data carriers, bank cards, draft records and “receipts” from the victims, as well as other evidence of criminal activity.

Currently, all detainees have been charged with suspicion under Part 4 of Art. 189 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (extortion committed by a group of persons under a prior conspiracy under martial law). The issue of announcing additional suspicions under Art. 255-1 and Art. 255-3 of the Criminal Code (establishment or spread of criminal influence, application for its application).

The perpetrators are in custody, they face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property. Operational measures were carried out by SBU employees in Ivano-Frankivsk region together with the National Police under the procedural guidance of the regional prosecutor’s office.