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February 15, 2024Operatives of the Department of Criminal Investigation and investigators of the National Police of Ukraine have dismantled a criminal group that defrauded Ukrainians of more than 45 million hryvnias (over 1.1 million euros) under the guise of selling drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
This was reported by the press service of the National Police of Ukraine.
The victims of the scammers were collecting funds for unmanned aerial vehicles of various modifications and their components to send to familiar soldiers in the combat zone. A total of 92 victims transferred money (a total of 45 million hryvnias) to the fraudsters for UAVs.
According to law enforcement officers, the victims were attracted by the cost of the offered goods, which was 20-25% lower than the market price. In addition, the perpetrators actually fulfilled several initial orders to deceive the victims. However, the vast majority of victims did not receive either drones or money: the scammers disposed of the funds at their discretion.
Victims made payments for the drones in cash or by transferring funds to bank cards, cryptocurrency wallets, and accounts of entities controlled by the fraudsters. After that, the funds were withdrawn by fictitious purchases of auto parts, textiles, and tourist services, which were not actually provided.
The criminal scheme was organized by two women who had previously used emergencies in the country to defraud citizens. For example, during blackouts, they sold and did not deliver 40 Starlink units, and during gasoline crises, they sold invalid fuel vouchers. In 2023, investigators of the National Police already suspected them and even sent indictments to court for consideration of the case on the merits.
After that, the culprits did not deliver more than 600 drones of various types for the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
In February, operatives conducted seven searches at their premises in Kiev, Odessa, and Volyn regions, during which bank cards, mobile phones, computer equipment, license plates, and documents of financial and economic activities were seized.
Under the procedural guidance of the Prosecutor General’s Office, the organizers were suspected of fraud committed on an especially large scale by an organized group (Part 3, 4, 5 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The main organizer has been hiding abroad for a long time, but the police are taking measures to declare her internationally wanted.
Two other defendants have been detained, and pre-trial detention has been chosen as a preventive measure for them. They face up to twelve years in prison.