Automatic weapons by mail and "money in a book": an interregional channel for illegal arms trade exposed
Kyiv • UNN
In Lviv region, three men organized an interregional channel for illegal arms trade, selling Kalashnikov assault rifles for $1,000 per unit. The perpetrators disguised the weapons as sports nutrition, and received payment in cash, including by hiding money in books.
Three dealers from Lviv region were making money on illegal arms trade. They transferred goods hand-to-hand or by mail, carefully disguising them. They received payment in the same way. The participants of the scheme were detained and notified of suspicion. This was reported by the National Police of Ukraine, writes UNN.
Details
A group of individuals – illegal traders of Kalashnikov assault rifles – was exposed by operatives of the Odesa Department of Internal Security of the National Police of Ukraine in cooperation with investigators of the Odesa police.
As it turned out, three residents of Lviv region, aged 34 to 46, were engaged in criminal activities. They personally handed over weapons to customers from Lviv. And after receiving orders from non-local "clients," they sent the goods by mail. To avoid attracting unnecessary attention at the post office, they indicated that they were sending sports nutrition.
They started working only after full prepayment – 1000 dollars per unit. In case of a long wait for the order, the buyer received a "pleasant bonus" – additional components for the assault rifle. The criminals demanded that those who wanted to own a "long barrel" transfer money exclusively in cash.
However, clients had to come up with various ways of disguise. So, in one case, the money had to be hidden in a book with a homemade cache and sent under the guise of a gift
Police documented the illegal activities of the perpetrators. A series of authorized searches were conducted at the suspects' premises. During which more than 40 thousand dollars in cash, weapons, various types of grenades and ammunition were found and seized.
Police investigators have already notified the dealers of suspicion under Part 1 of Article 263 and Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 263 (Illegal handling of weapons, ammunition or explosives) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The sanction of the incriminated article provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for up to 7 years.
Currently, the suspects have been remanded in custody with the right to post bail in the amount of more than 90 thousand to more than 2 million hryvnias, depending on the roles performed. The investigation is ongoing.