Police investigators exposed a criminal group in Zaporizhia for stealing professional refrigeration equipment, and during searches of the suspects, an arsenal of weapons and millions in cash were seized, the National Police of Ukraine reported.
According to a statement on the National Police website on Wednesday, a local entrepreneur contacted the police reporting the theft of professional refrigeration equipment from a warehouse worth more than UAH 1.7 million.
Law enforcement officers promptly identified those involved in the crime: an organized criminal group of 13 people, including a local crime boss.
Investigators from the Main Investigative Department of the National Police conducted 29 authorized searches at the suspects’ residences, workplaces, and warehouse facilities where the stolen property was stored.
"During the searches, law enforcement officers seized an arsenal – pistols, assault rifles, grenades, hunting rifles, a significant amount of ammunition, as well as over UAH 1.6 million and $200,000," the police said.
According to the report, the police also discovered and seized the stolen refrigeration equipment at one of the warehouses.
Currently, three members of the criminal group have been served a notice of suspicion under Part 5 of Article 185 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (theft committed on an especially large scale).
Procedural supervision over the criminal proceedings is carried out by the Prosecutor General’s Office. Operational support is provided by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Office in Zaporizhia region.
