SBU officers blocked an illegal scheme with precious stones illegally mined in Ukraine. Offenders processed topaz, beryl and quartz at a jewelry factory and then illegally exported for sale abroad. During searches, they were seized of more than 2 tons of precious stones.

According to the pre-trial investigation, the illegal business was controlled by a former high-ranking official of Yanukovych's regime, and organized by an owner of a large jewelry company.

SBU officers established that the offenders illegally extracted topaz, beryl and quartz from deposits without relevant permits. The extracted gems were processed at the company's facilities and exported to auctions in North America without authorization. In addition, they sold the gems through one of the most famous chains of jewelry stores in Ukraine.

During searches of production facilities and offenders’ residences, law enforcement officers found and seized more than 2 tons of precious stones. Jewels, within criminal proceedings for violation of rules related to the protection of mineral resources, were submitted for relevant examinations.

The investigation is ongoing.

The operation was conducted by the SBU Main Directorate for Combating Corruption and Organized Crime jointly with the National Police under the supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office.