Law enforcement officers neutralized a gang of racketeers in Zaporizhzhia who kidnapped people, brutally beat them and extorted money from them. UNN reports this with reference to the SBU.
Details
Reportedly, the attackers created artificial conflict situations and then demanded money from the victims for a "peaceful" settlement of the dispute. In many cases, a one-time "payment" turned into a monthly "tribute".
If the gang members refused to pay, they would kidnap their victims and take them to an abandoned building. There, the criminals would severely beat and threaten people.
SBU officers detained the leader of the group and two of its active members red-handed while they were "extorting" a non-existent debt from a man. The perpetrators reportedly held the victim in a dilapidated building in a city park.
According to the investigation, the gang was organized by a Zaporizhzhia criminal mastermind who spent more than 20 years in prison for particularly serious crimes, including robbery and kidnapping.
He recruited more than ten people to the group, most of whom had already served their sentences.
During the searches of the suspects' residences, the law enforcement seized weapons, drugs and money obtained by criminal means.
Addendum
The organizer of the gang and two of his accomplices were served a notice of suspicion under the following articles of the Criminal Code:
- Part 4 of Art. 189 (extortion committed by an organized group under martial law);
- Part 2 of Article 146 (illegal deprivation of liberty or abduction of a person);
- Part 4 of Art. 187 (robbery).
In addition, the issue of additional qualification of the criminal actions of the gang leader for illegal handling of weapons is being resolved.
The detainees are in custody. They face up to 15 years in prison.