Law enforcement officers uncovered and stopped an illegal channel for the supply of firearms and ammunition from the combat zone. This was reported on March 17 by the State Bureau of Investigation and Specialized Prosecutor’s Office in the Field of Defense of the Southern Region.
According to the investigation, five servicemen who served in the Kharkiv and Donetsk directions took weapons, explosives and ammunition from the arsenals of their units and then sold them. According to investigators, the defendants actually organized an “online store” through which they sold “goods”.
They sent some of the weapons, in particular grenade launchers, by mail to Odessa, and delivered large batches themselves. In the Odessa region, the weapons were stored in a cache that was set up at a service station. An evacuation vehicle intended for transporting wounded soldiers was used for transportation.
Law enforcement officers documented the sale of weapons worth over UAH 1.5 million. According to prosecutors, all episodes took place under the control of law enforcement officers.
On March 11, SBI officers detained the military during their personal delivery of weapons and ammunition to Odessa. The shipment, worth $17,000, included machine guns, shots and grenades of various modifications, assault rifles, as well as cartridges of various calibers.
Currently, the suspects have been charged with illegal handling of weapons, ammunition or explosives, committed by a group of people in a prior conspiracy. The court has chosen preventive measures in the form of detention with the right to post bail. For two suspects, it was set at UAH 1.9 million, for another one – UAH 1.6 million, for the others – UAH 260,000 and UAH 200,000, respectively.
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. Law enforcement officers are identifying the full range of persons involved in the illegal sale of weapons and ammunition. Also, as part of the investigation, the issue of transferring the seized weapons for the needs of the Defense Forces of Ukraine is being resolved.
