Law enforcement officers detained a person nicknamed "Naum", the "overseer" of southern Ukraine, who coordinated criminal structures, controlled colonies, and extorted millions. This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General and the National Police, writes UNN.
Prosecutors of the Office of the Prosecutor General, together with investigators of the Main Investigation Department and operational officers of the Department of Strategic Investigations of the National Police of Ukraine, exposed the activities of a person who had the status of a so-called "polozhenets" – a subject of increased criminal influence.
He was served with a notice of suspicion of creating and spreading criminal influence (Part 3 of Article 255-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), as well as extortion on a particularly large scale (Part 4 of Article 189 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The court granted the motion for the application of a preventive measure – detention without the right to bail.
It was found that the suspect, having received the status of a subject of increased criminal influence - a "polozhenets" - established and spread criminal influence in society, as well as in places of deprivation of liberty in the southern regions entrusted to him.
According to the investigation, he coordinated the activities of controlled persons, collected funds to replenish the criminal "obshchak", developed "rules of conduct" for convicts, and controlled the activities of criminal groups.
In addition, two more persons who are held in places of deprivation of liberty were involved in illegal activities. They, at the direction of the suspect, spread criminal influence in places of deprivation of liberty and extorted money from citizens with threats of violence. The fact of extortion and receipt of funds on a particularly large scale was established. They were also served with a notice of suspicion of extortion (Part 4 of Article 189 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
During the pre-trial investigation, 49 searches were conducted in Kyiv, Odesa, Vinnytsia, and Mykolaiv regions – at the places of residence of the defendants, in their places of detention, and in vehicles.
As noted by the National Police, the person nicknamed "Naum" is considered a key figure in building a criminal vertical in Mykolaiv, Odesa, and Kherson regions. His influence extended both to the criminal environment of the regions and to places of deprivation of liberty.
As part of the investigation, numerous episodes of criminal influence were documented. One of them is an attempt to raid an agricultural enterprise. The businessman, who refused to act according to Naum's instructions, was demanded $550,000 or the voluntary transfer of the property complex in Odesa region and 60 trucks.
The suspects face up to fifteen years in prison with confiscation of property.