SSU detains criminals who extorted money from relatives of Ukrainian PoWs, promising exchange
The SSU has shut down another scheme of extorting money from families of Ukrainian prisoners of war.
Two perpetrators who extorted USD 60,000 from relatives of two captured Ukrainian servicemen have been detained ‘red-handed’.
The fraudsters promised to transfer the money to representatives of russian occupation groupings so that they would put the PoWs on the ‘exchange lists’.
According to preliminary data, the perpetrators had connections among the militants and obtained information about Ukrainian captives from them.
The participants of the ‘scheme’ had no intention of returning the Ukrainian servicemen home.
To be more convincing, the blackmailers posed as law enforcement officers.
The SSU documented the crime and detained the suspects after they received the last part of the ‘payment’.
During the searches, the SSU seized fake law enforcement IDs, a business card of a representative of a russian ‘NGO’, records with ‘prices’ for confidential information about Ukrainian citizens and other material evidence.
SSU investigators have served both detainees notices of suspicion under Article 111-2.1 of the CCU (aiding the aggressor state).
The investigation is underway. The suspects face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
Please note that freeing prisoners of war is the competence of government authorities.
If you or someone you know is in a situation where unknown persons are demanding money for the ‘release’ of a relative from captivity, please contact the Joint Centre for Search and Liberation of PoWs immediately:
Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram: +38 067 650-83-32
or email: united_center@ssu.gov.ua
The operation was carried out under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
