A large-scale scheme of illegal amber mining was exposed in the Rivne region, which caused damage to the environment in the amount of 350 million hryvnias. This is reported by UNN with a reference to the Office of the Prosecutor General.
Details
Under the procedural guidance of the Specialized Environmental Prosecutor's Office, the activities of a criminal organization engaged in illegal amber mining with damage to the environment in the amount of more than UAH 350 million were stopped. It includes seven members, including the director of one of the branches of SE "Forests of Ukraine"
The defendants in the case were notified of suspicion of creating, managing and participating in a criminal organization, as well as illegal amber mining using official position.
The investigation learned that at the end of 2021, an entrepreneur formed a criminal group to carry out illegal amber mining on an industrial scale in the Rivne region.
In order to give the illegal actions the appearance of legality, the company, which is headed and founded by the organizer of the criminal group, received two special permits for geological exploration of amber deposits on 20 hectares of forest land.
Each of the participants had clearly defined responsibilities: providing equipment, searching for diggers, weighing and packaging amber, controlling movement, organizing sales, masking illegal activities, and maintaining contacts with law enforcement and government agencies
The prosecutor's office also reported that from June 2022 to May 2024, members of the criminal group, with the assistance of a forestry official, in violation of the requirements of the law on subsoil, extracted more than five tons of amber.
It is noted that mining was carried out both within the areas with permits for geological exploration, and outside them. The prosecutor's office also reminded that according to the requirements of the legislation, during geological exploration, no more than 5 kg of amber per 1 ha of the deposit is allowed.
After that, the reserves must be approved by the State Commission of Ukraine for Mineral Reserves, and only then - obtaining a permit for industrial production.
The conducted examinations confirmed that the environment was damaged as a result of unauthorized use of mineral resources.
Six members of the criminal organization were detained in accordance with Art. 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine (Detention by an authorized official). The issue of choosing preventive measures for them is currently being resolved.
Addition
In the Rivne region, during 17 searches related to illegal mining and trade in amber, law enforcement officers seized more than 100 kg of amber and related equipment for its extraction.
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