In the case of sunflower theft in the Mykolaiv region, the investigation led to Odesa

In the Mykolaiv region, an agricultural enterprise lost nearly one million hryvnias due to a fraudulent deal with a fake sunflower buyer who posed as a representative of a well-known company. Investigators are examining a possible link between the scam and Odesa, where they are searching for its alleged participants.

This was reported by Intent, citing a ruling by the Pervomaisky City and District Court.

According to the investigation, in late January 2026, the director of a private agricultural enterprise received a phone call from a man who introduced himself as a representative of the company and offered to purchase sunflower seeds. After agreeing on a price, the parties exchanged founding documents and began preparing to finalize the deal.

To verify the quality of the product, the buyer asked for seed samples to be sent to Odesa via a postal service. After receiving the test results, he stated that the goods met the requirements and promised to send a truck to pick up the shipment.

Thus, on February 9, the parties entered into a contract for the sale of sunflower seeds, and by February 11, the company had shipped over 31 metric tons of the product. Under the terms of the contract, payment was to be made within three banking days after the goods were unloaded at the buyer’s grain elevator.

Subsequently, the buyer’s representative sent the accountant documents purporting to confirm receipt of the goods, after which the company issued an invoice. However, the payment never arrived, and contact with the man was lost. The messenger chat history was deleted. When the farm’s employees contacted the company on whose behalf the buyer had acted directly, the company stated that it had not entered into any agreements with that enterprise, and that the person who had been in contact with the sellers was not employed by them. In addition, an outdated company seal had been used on the documents.

As part of the investigation, law enforcement officials determined that a phone number linked to addresses in Odesa was used to obtain the sunflower seed samples. Investigators identified a number of locations where the user of that number might have been while planning and carrying out the fraudulent scheme.

To identify those involved in the scheme, the court authorized access to information from the mobile operator. Investigators will receive data on phone calls made by subscribers who were within the coverage area of specific cell towers on the relevant dates and times. This should help identify the network of contacts, the travel routes of possible participants in the scheme, and other circumstances of the crime.

Additionally, court proceedings in the case involving the embezzlement of thousands of metric tons of grain from the Grain Base—which has been ongoing since 2021—continued. According to investigators, a scheme to embezzle grain worth over 12 million hryvnias may have been operating at the enterprise in the Mykolaiv region.

Анна Бальчінос