The attackers threatened to maim and then kill the soldier’s pregnant wife if she did not give them 190,000 hryvnias.
The Security Service, together with the National Police, neutralized a powerful criminal group engaged in racketeering in the Zhytomyr region. This was reported by the SBU press service on Wednesday, August 16.
Every day, attackers “knock out” large sums of money from people under fictitious reasons or due to artificially provoked conflict situations. In case of refusal to pay “tribute”, gang members kidnapped people and took them to specially equipped dungeons in Korostyshev.
In the dungeons, the racketeers used especially brutal torture on the victims. Information about the rape of several women by the defendants is also being examined.
SBU employees documented the extortion of 190,000 hryvnias from a serviceman of one of the combat brigades performing front line tasks. The assailants threatened to maim and then kill the pregnant wife of a Ukrainian soldier if she did not hand over the full amount of money to the rackets.
As a result of the special operation, the Security Service detained two leaders and six active members of the gang in an attempt to transfer part of the money from the victim to them.
The gang was organized by two local criminals. In the gang, they attracted their acquaintances, who had previously been prosecuted for serious crimes.
During searches of the defendants’ residence and their vehicle, a large amount of cash, unregistered military weapons, brass knuckles, baseball bats, various bladed weapons, a list of victims, bank cards and mobiles phones they used in criminal activities were found.
It was planned to inform the detainees about the suspicion of extortion, causing damage to property on a large scale, committed by an organized group under martial law, associated with the infliction of grievous bodily harm.
The issue of choosing a measure of restraint in the form of detention is being decided. The attackers face up to 12 years in prison.
Recall that earlier the SBU neutralized a criminal group in the Chernihiv region, engaged in extortion. In Kharkiv, “werewolves” were detained, under the guise of SBU officers, robbing local residents.
Source: korrespondent
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