The SBU continues to clean up its own ranks. The operatives of the SBU Main Department of Internal Security exposed an officer of the SBU Central Office on participating in an organized group.

The activity of the group was blocked. The group included for members.

The operatives established that the perpetrators kidnapped and illegally detained a Kharkiv resident for their own enrichment. The offenders demanded from the victim EUR 40,000 and UAH 1.6 m (USD 58,000) for the release. The members of the group threatened the man with violence. The victim was released after agreeing to pay the full amount of money.

Currently, the perpetrators have been served notices of suspicion of illegal imprisonment or kidnapping and extortion. The court chose a type of detention for the SBU officer and deprived him a right to post bail.

The sanctions of the articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine provide 7 years of imprisonment.

The operation was conducted by the SBU jointly with the State Bureau of Investigation under the supervision of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office in the Military and Defense Sphere of the Prosecutor General’s Office.