Odesa Police Detain Military Officer-Led Extortion Group Targeting Businesses

In Odesa, the security services and police detained a criminal group led by a military officer. They were engaged in extortion and robberies against businessmen.

According to the SBU Office in Odesa region, the group was led by a 27-year-old serviceman who is already in custody in a pre-trial detention center for other crimes.

According to the investigation, the criminals systematically extorted money from small and medium-sized businesses, using psychological pressure, death threats and physical violence. One of the accomplices also turned out to be a military officer.

Photo: Security Service of Ukraine.

The police added that the "leader" was searching for future victims, monitoring the process of extortion via audio and video, and dividing the proceeds of crime among the "performers." The latter, following orders, would surround certain people in the middle of the street and, threatening them with physical violence, demanded that they pay off the fictitious debts. And in the absence of money, they would chase the victims until they got what they wanted.

The police documented the illegal extortion of money from three local residents. One man was ordered to give them $600, of which they managed to get $300. Another man was robbed of his 8,000 hryvnias and ordered to pay more every week. The third was presented with a "debt" of $10,000, of which $500 and 8,000 hryvnias were taken immediately. The offenders were detained while receiving the second part of the money in the amount of $7000 from the last victim. During the searches of the homes and cells of the pre-trial detention center, investigators seized cell phones with information confirming the illegal activities of the owners.

All five detainees were served a notice of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 27, Part 4 of Article 189 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - extortion committed by an organized group under martial law. The court imposed on them a pre-trial restraint in the form of detention without bail.

The offenders face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.

Ірина Глухова