Demanded to buy dietary supplements: new details emerged in the case of a criminal group that terrorized elderly Ukrainians
Kyiv • UNN
Law enforcement officers have uncovered new facts and individuals in the case of a criminal group that terrorized elderly residents of Ukraine, threatening prosecution for refusing to buy biologically active additives. A hundred new episodes have been documented, and 21 individuals have been notified of suspicion.
Law enforcement officers have uncovered new episodes concerning the activities of a criminal group that terrorized elderly residents of Ukraine with threats of prosecution for refusing to buy biologically active additives (BAAs - ed). The perpetrators were detained in early 2025: during the pre-trial investigation, law enforcement officers established new facts and identified other involved individuals. This was reported by UNN with reference to the National Police of Ukraine.
Details
According to the investigation, members of the group used databases of individuals who had previously ordered medicines, after which they called the victims, introducing themselves as employees of the state executive service.
Under the pretext of "mandatory receipt of medicines," the perpetrators exerted psychological pressure, threatened legal proceedings and confiscation of property if they refused to pick up the parcel at post offices. For mass calling of citizens, the defendants used IP telephony, which allowed them to conceal their real location and scale their criminal activities.
Currently, law enforcement officers have documented a hundred new episodes of the fraudsters' criminal activity.
Within the framework of the criminal proceedings, 21 individuals - residents of Dnipropetrovsk and Kyiv regions - aged 17 to 44, have been notified of suspicion. The perpetrators are charged with creating, leading, and participating in a criminal organization (Part 1, 2 of Article 255), as well as extortion committed by a criminal organization (Part 4 of Article 28, Part 4 of Article 189 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). A series of searches were conducted at the places of residence of the group members in Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Recall
Law enforcement officers uncovered a scheme for legalizing over 578 million hryvnias obtained from defense contracts. Enterprise officials acted in collusion with a "conversion center," withdrawing budget funds through forged documents.