Three police officers from Dnipropetrovsk region rob Nikopol resident for cryptocurrency

Three police officers from Dnipropetrovsk region, two of whom hold senior positions, organized and carried out an armed robbery against a resident of Nikopol in order to seize his cryptocurrency and cash. The total damage caused exceeds three million hryvnias.

This was reported by the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI).

According to investigators, the law enforcement officers had information that the Nikopol resident was involved in the distribution of drugs and psychotropic substances. They had also learned of $100,000 in his cryptocurrency wallet. The officers developed a plan for the attack and created a cryptocurrency wallet in advance, to which they intended to transfer the victim’s digital assets.

Shortly before midnight on June 18, two masked police officers attacked the man in Nikopol. A third accomplice coordinated their actions. The attackers used tear gas on the victim and fired a traumatic weapon at him several times. The man was then handcuffed and struck repeatedly on the head, torso, and legs.

Threatening the victim with weapons and physical harm, the officers forced him to unlock his mobile phone and gained access to his cryptocurrency wallet. From it, they transferred cryptocurrency equivalent to approximately $51,000 to a pre-prepared account.

The attackers did not stop there. The man was forced to call his mother and demand money for his release. Fearing for her son’s life, the woman handed the attackers more than $17,000. In total, the victims suffered material damages of more than three million hryvnias.

All three officers were detained and notified of suspicion of robbery with intent to seize another person’s property, committed by prior conspiracy. The court ordered them remanded in custody with the option of posting bail.