Law enforcement agents have revealed a 12-member illicit network established by erstwhile “wardens” of the Kyiv Remand Prison. They engaged in extortion, committed armed thefts, and abducted a Chinese national.
Law enforcement officials have uncovered a criminal syndicate consisting of ex-“guards” from the Kyiv Detention Center, as reported by the Prosecutor General's Office on Monday, according to UNN.
Prosecutors from the Prosecutor General’s Office, working alongside law enforcement, detected and halted the operations of a tenacious criminal enterprise formed by former so-called “wardens” of the Kyiv Detention Facility. The collective comprised a dozen individuals. The ringleaders were repeat offenders who, during their time in pre-trial detention, possessed criminal standing and wielded influence over the inmates.
– the prosecutor's office reported.
Details
Based on the inquiry, the members of the syndicate:
- bolstered the perpetuation of the criminal pecking order within detention centers;
- facilitated the illicit conveyance of contraband;
- propagated criminal sway among detainees.
“Subsequent to their liberation, they persisted in dominating the criminal milieu of the detention center, extorting payments for “guaranteed safety” and issuing menaces of violence,” stated the prosecutor’s office.
Additionally, as per the prosecutor’s office, members of the cohort perpetrated robberies, burglaries, and acts of coercion in Kyiv and its surrounding area.
“Among the notable instances is the abduction of a Chinese national. Individuals from the group enticed him under the guise of investment opportunities, subsequently kidnapping him and incarcerating him in a residence in the Zhytomyr region, resorting to violence. Through these actions, they obtained access to financial accounts and mobile devices, ultimately seizing possession of 28 thousand US dollars,” the report elucidates.
During a broad special operation across the Zhytomyr and Khmelnytsky regions, it was noted that “one of the masterminds and active participants in the group was apprehended; another instigator was formally notified of suspicion in absentia.”
“More than 20 searches were executed. Firearms, munitions, vehicles, equipment, and supplementary evidence were confiscated,” the report details.
“All members of the criminal organization, contingent on their involvement, have been formally notified of suspicion under a series of articles outlined in the Criminal Code of Ukraine,” affirmed the prosecutor’s office.
The penalties encompass imprisonment for up to 15 years, accompanied by asset forfeiture.