A gang of racketeers, suspected of extorting money from migrants and teenage orphans, was arrested in Lviv Oblast
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- Mariia Khamitsevych
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23:19, 21 March, 2024
The Security Service of Ukraine in the Lviv region detained a gang of racketeers who terrorized local and teenage orphans who were forced to move to Lviv due to the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
Law enforcement officers detained the leader and active members of the OZG, who terrorized and tried to keep residents of the region in fear, the SBU reported.
According to the investigation, the racketeers persecuted and imposed «tribute» on local residents, creating artificial conflict situations or under the guise of «debt repayment».
In addition, having learned that orphaned teenagers receive financial assistance from the state, the gang demanded money from them to guarantee a «peaceful life» in the town. At the same time, in case of disagreement to pay, they threatened to use physical violence. The monthly fee for such «security» averaged several tens of thousands of hryvnias.
SBU employees detained three people while receiving another «tranche» from one of the victims in the amount of 20,000 hryvnias.
Law enforcement officers detained racketeers in the Lviv region / Photo: SSU
Law enforcement officers detained racketeers in the Lviv region / Photo: SSU
Law enforcement officers detained racketeers in the Lviv region / Photo: SSUAccording to the law enforcement officers, it turned out that they are already involved in other criminal proceedings, the investigation of which is ongoing.
The detainees were informed of the suspicion of committing a criminal offense provided for in part 4 of Article 189 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (extortion committed by an organized group under martial law).
They are currently in custody. An investigation is ongoing to bring to justice all persons involved in the criminal group. Participants face up to 12 years in prison.
We will remind, racketeers were arrested in Zaporizhzhia who threatened the wife of a fallen serviceman to kill her and her child if the woman did not pay them 10,000 dollars.