The Security Service and the National Police neutralized an organized criminal group that terrorized residents of the frontline city of Dnipro. This was reported by the press service of the Security Service of Ukraine, according to UNN.
The criminals extorted money from small businesses. To do this, they provoked conflict situations or invented artificial debts, and then issued a "bill" to the victims,
Details
It is noted that in case of refusal, the racketeers kidnapped their victims and took them to the basement, which was converted into a torture chamber.
There, people were tied to a chair and periodically beaten, threatening to physically harm the victims and their families.
SBU officers documented the fact of extortion of money from a local IT entrepreneur.
The defendants demanded the money as "compensation" for an unrealized business project in which they allegedly invested. According to the investigation, the racketeers took the IT specialist blindfolded to a basement where they tortured him. As a result, he agreed to pay and sent part of the amount in cryptocurrency. To pay the "balance", he had to ask his relatives for help. Holding the businessman in his own car, the defendants drove him to the addresses of his relatives until he collected the full amount.
According to the investigation, the racketeers planned to expand their criminal influence and impose a "tribute" on most small businesses.
Law enforcement blocked the group's illegal intentions and detained the organizer and his accomplice. They were representatives of local criminals who had previously been prosecuted for serious crimes.
The detainees were served a notice of suspicion under three articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- Art. 146 (illegal deprivation of liberty or abduction of a person);
- Art. 189 (extortion);
- Art. 263 (illegal handling of weapons, ammunition or explosives).
The offenders are in custody. They face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
Recall
Four people kidnapped a man, beat him and demanded $10,000 while locking him in a garage in Kyiv region, but the victim managed to escape and report the incident to law enforcement, resulting in the suspects being charged and facing 7 to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.