These weapons were found by the dealers in the de-occupied territory of Ukraine. After the legal proceedings, all seized weapons and ammunition will be sent to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. baltimorechronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/83d647c7ef965c7c027884d732cae12a.jpg” alt=”Black gunsmiths who sold captured arsenals were detained in five regions of Ukraine. The police prevented the illegal sale of captured weapons and ammunition in five regions of Ukraine, the SBU press service reports.
As a result of joint activities in the Kyiv region, as well as in the Zaporizhia, Lviv, Rivne and Chernivtsi regions, two criminal groups of arms dealers were neutralized.
The perpetrators tried to illegally sell to criminals combat weapons that they found in the de-occupied regions of Ukraine.
Among the seized items from the defendants was an arsenal of Russian Kalashnikov assault rifles, combat grenades and more than 50 thousand rounds of ammunition of various calibers.
Thus, nine gang members were detained in the capital region, Lviv region, Rivne and Bukovyna. Under the guise of volunteers, they took away captured weapons from the sites of former military clashes.
Then the defendants restored the combat characteristics of the damaged weapons in underground workshops, which they set up in one of the garage cooperatives of the capital.
Later. they looked for potential buyers of weapons due to personal connections in criminal circles.
For the sake of secrecy, the group members sent the “order” by mail, and received the money for it on bank cards issued to fictitious persons.
Thus, the defendants tried to sell a batch of machine guns and pistols with cartridges for them. But the SBU officers exposed the “scheme” in advance and blocked it at the initial stage.
In addition, in the Lviv and Rivne regions, the organizer and two members of another group, which tried to illegally sell combat grenades, were detained “red-handed”.
During the search of the detainees' residences, the following was additionally discovered:
a batch of machine guns and pistols with accessories; tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition of various calibers; almost 10 million UAH, probably obtained through criminal means.
According to the investigation, the defendants were looking for their clients through their own “advertisements” on the darknet.
Currently, all detainees have been notified of suspicion under Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal handling of weapons, ammunition or explosives). The perpetrators face 3 to 7 years in prison.
After the proceedings, all seized weapons and ammunition will be sent to the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.