SAPO and NABU notified 5 individuals of suspicion as part of Operation "Carthage." SAPO reported this on November 5, UNN writes.
Under the procedural guidance of SAPO prosecutors, NABU detectives notified 5 members of a criminal organization exposed as part of Operation "Carthage" of suspicion. It should be noted that the members of the criminal organization established a systematic scheme of providing undue benefits to senior law enforcement officials in exchange for unhindered operation of fraudulent call centers and other illegal businesses
According to SAPO, the suspects' actions were classified as follows:
- the organizer – under Part 1 of Article 255, Part 3 of Article 27, Part 3 of Article 369, Part 3 of Article 27, Part 3 of Article 127, Part 3 of Article 27, Part 3 of Article 199, and Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
- the first deputy head of one of the Departments of the Security Service of Ukraine – under Part 3 of Article 255 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
- the head of one of the Departments of the National Police of Ukraine – under Part 3 of Article 255 and Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
- the deputy head of a department of the Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Kyiv region – under Part 3 of Article 255, Part 5 of Article 27, Part 3 of Article 127, Part 5 of Article 27, and Part 3 of Article 199 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
- the organizer's subordinate – under Part 2 of Article 255 and Part 3 of Article 127 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The essence of the case
According to SAPO, the pretrial investigation established that "the organizer of the criminal organization, who had previously been convicted multiple times, recruited current senior officials of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Office of the Prosecutor General, and the National Police, as well as representatives of the criminal underworld, into illegal activities."
"This ensured the unhindered operation of fraudulent call centers that deceived Ukrainian citizens and foreigners, the sale of narcotic drugs, as well as the illegal manufacture of counterfeit cigarettes and counterfeit foreign currency, among other things," the prosecutor's office reported.
In addition, it is stated that "the involvement of members of the criminal organization in attacks, abductions, and the infliction of bodily injuries on individuals in the interests of the criminal organization was established."
"It should be noted that, according to the investigators' version, the criminal organization used corrupt connections in law enforcement agencies to protect illegal activities and obtain shadow profits. The investigation has preliminarily established that at least 12 people were recruited into the criminal organization," the statement reads.
The investigation is ongoing.