Luxury vehicle fleet, Swiss watches, weapons, over UAH 22.6 mln in cash seized from top National Police officials - Prosecutor General

A luxury fleet of vehicles, Swiss watches, weapons, and cash totaling over UAH 22.6 million were seized from top officials of regional police departments detained for covering up an explicit content scheme, reported Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko.

"During searches of top National Police officials, a luxury fleet of six cars, 5 Swiss watches, firearms and bladed weapons, mobile phones, as well as cash in various currencies totaling over UAH 22.6 million were seized," the Prosecutor General reported on his Telegram channel on Wednesday.

He emphasized that 5 participants in the scheme have been detained and notified of suspicion.

According to the Prosecutor General, a driver from the automotive department of the Center for Servicing Units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who acted as an intermediary, is charged with instigating and aiding a public official holding a responsible position in receiving an improper benefit.

"The actions of the head of the Main Directorate of the National Police (GUNP) in Ivano-Frankivsk region, his deputy, as well as the first deputy head of the GUNP in Ternopil region and the deputy head of the GUNP in Zhytomyr region, are qualified under Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, namely the receipt of an improper benefit in an especially large size by a public official holding a responsible position," Kravchenko noted.

Currently, according to him, motions are being prepared for the court to select preventative measures for the suspects.

Earlier, the Prosecutor General and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported on their Telegram channels about the detention of regional police officials in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, and Zhytomyr regions for covering up an explicit content scheme.

"A large-scale operation to cleanse the National Police system of corruption: a scheme protecting ‘porn offices’ in three regions has been exposed," the Prosecutor General wrote on his Telegram channel.

He reported: "According to the investigation, the leadership of territorial police units in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, and Zhytomyr regions could have ensured the unhindered operation of a network of so-called ‘porn offices.’"

The Security Service of Ukraine stated on its Telegram channel that those detained include the head of the GUNP in Ivano-Frankivsk region; the deputy head of the GUNP in Ivano-Frankivsk region; the first deputy head of the GUNP in Ternopil region; the deputy head of the GUNP in Zhytomyr region; and a driver from the automotive department of the Center for Servicing Units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who served as an intermediary-courier.

"The SBU and the Office of the Prosecutor General, with the assistance of the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Internal Security Department of the National Police, exposed officials of regional police directorates in illegal schemes," the SBU statement said.

According to the case materials, the figures were engaged in covering up the activities of models on internet platforms with explicit content. "Thus, for various amounts of improper benefits, the officials guaranteed their ‘charges’ protection from being held accountable for illegal content," the SBU specified.