The SBU, together with the National Police and the BES, neutralized a criminal group that massively forged official documents of Ukraine for sale. As a result of complex measures in different regions of the country, 4 organizers of underground "printing houses" that operated in Kyiv and Prykarpattia were detained. This is reported by the press service of the Security Service of Ukraine, UNN reports.
According to the case, the criminals produced hundreds of fake documents every week, including service IDs and medical reports from the military medical commission on the "poor" health of conscripts,
Details
It is noted that the defendants offered the finished products to potential conscripts who tried to evade mobilization. The cost of the forgery ranged from 500 to 5 thousand US dollars, depending on the type of "document". According to preliminary data, the average monthly "profit" of the defendants was up to UAH 3 million
The investigation revealed that the criminal group was organized by a resident of Vinnytsia region. He involved 3 of his acquaintances from Kryvyi Rih, Ivano-Frankivsk and Cherkasy in the illegal activity. One of the dealers already had a criminal record for forgery.
To mass-produce counterfeits, they purchased all the necessary office equipment, including printers for printing on plastic cards. The defendants sent the finished products to customers via postal services, and accepted payments on crypto wallets and bank cards. To find customers, the offenders used personal connections and offered "printing services" in specially created Telegram channels.
Searches of the detainees' homes revealed forged documents, stamps and seal impressions, cell phones, computers and draft records with evidence of the crimes.
Currently, all 4 defendants have been served a notice of suspicion under two articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- Art. 1, 2 Art. 199 (manufacturing, storage, acquisition, transportation, transfer of holographic security elements committed by prior conspiracy by a group of persons);
- Part 3 of Art. 358 (forgery of documents, seals, stamps and forms, sale or use of forged documents, seals, stamps committed by prior conspiracy).
The investigation is ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the crime. In particular, information about the sale of counterfeits to Russian agents is being checked. The issue of choosing a measure of restraint is being decided. They face up to 10 years in prison with confiscation of property.