SSU and National Police neutralized the gang of "overseers" that terrorized five regions

SSU and National Police neutralized the gang of "overseers" that terrorized five regions

The Security Service and the National Police neutralized a criminal group that tried to terrorize residents of five regions of Ukraine. As a result of comprehensive measures, 12 members of the gang were detained, including a former "overseer" of the Olenivka colony.

This is stated in the official announcement of the SSU.

The investigation found that the defendants extorted money from entrepreneurs under the guise of returning fictitious debts. In case of refusal to pay the "tribute", the racketeers threatened physical violence against the victims and their relatives.

It was documented how the criminals were "extracting" 800 thousand US dollars from the owners of a family business in Prykarpattia.

In another episode, the bandits demanded a serviceman of the Armed Forces of Ukraine give them his savings. To pressure the Ukrainian defender, they promised to "visit" his relatives and destroy all family property.

According to case materials, the coordination of the group’s actions was carried out by a total of four criminal authorities who positioned themselves as "overseers" for several cities in the Ivano-Frankivsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

During a special operation, one of them was detained right at the border while attempting to escape to a neighboring EU country.

Other members of the group were detained at their places of residence, as well as when they received part of the "tribute" from the victim.

It was established that in addition to the four organizers of the gang ("overseers"), it included criminals, most of whom had already served sentences for robbery, extortion, and other serious crimes.

During 28 searches of the defendants’ premises in the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa, Zhytomyr, Kirovohrad, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Khmelnytsky regions, the following were found:

- almost 1.5 million in equivalent hryvnia and 7 premium-class cars;
- firearms, smartphones, flash drives, bank cards, draft notes, "receipts" from victims, and other material evidence of the crimes.

The detainees have been notified of suspicion under Part 4 of Article 189 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (extortion committed by a group of persons by prior agreement under conditions of martial law).

The issue of announcing additional suspicions under Articles 255-1 and 255-3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (establishing or spreading criminal influence, appealing for the application of criminal influence) is also being considered.

The wrongdoers are in custody. They face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.

The comprehensive measures were conducted by SSU officers in the Ivano-Frankivsk region in cooperation with the National Police under the procedural guidance of the regional prosecutor’s office.