SBU officers blocked the activity of an organized group which was assaulting citizens of Odesa and extorted money from them.

The operatives established that the group included previously convicted representatives of one of the national minorities. According to the SBU, activity of the gang was controlled by a local “criminal lord” currently hiding from Ukrainian justice.

Penetrators selected their victims among local businessmen. They provoked conflicts and forced the victims to pay “charges”. It is established, that the group members were involved in committing of a series of assaults using firearms, robberies and money extortion on the territory of the region.

SBU officers documented fact of extortion of USD 10,000 and 1 kg of gold from a married couple.

Law enforcement detained two active members of the gang when they received a part of the agreed sum of USD 5,000.

In the framework of criminal proceeding, the issues of serving the detainees a notice of suspicion of committing a crime and choosing them a type of detention are being settled.

Searches are being conducted at the residences of the group members.

The operation was conducted under the supervision of the Prosecutor's Office.