NABU and the SAPO have announced suspicion notices for five members of a criminal organisation exposed on 4 November as part of Operation “Carthage”. This is stated in a publication on the NABU website.
A suspicion notice was served on the organiser of the criminal group, whose code name in the case is “Criminal”, and whose real name is Andrii Osipov. He is suspected under Part 1 of Article 255 (establishing and leading a criminal community or criminal organisation, as well as participation in it), Part 3 of Article 27 (complicity), Part 3 of Article 369 (offering, promising or providing an unlawful benefit to an official), Part 3 of Article 127 (torture), Part 3 of Article 199 (manufacture, storage, acquisition, transportation, mailing, import into Ukraine for the purpose of use in the sale of goods, sale or distribution of counterfeit money, state securities existing in paper form, state lottery tickets, excise tax stamps or holographic security elements), and Part 3 of Article 209 (legalisation (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Serhii Duka, First Deputy Head of an SBU department, is suspected of participation in a criminal organisation (Part 3 of Article 255 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). Volodymyr Tsenov, head of one of the departments of the National Police of Ukraine, is suspected under the same article, as well as under Part 4 of Article 368 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — accepting an offer or promise of, or receiving, an unlawful benefit by an official.
Oleksandr Demianchuk, Deputy Head of a division of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Kyiv region, is suspected under Part 3 of Article 255 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, Part 5 of Article 27 and Part 3 of Article 127, and Part 5 of Article 27 and Part 3 of Article 199 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). These are participation in a criminal organisation, complicity in torture, and the manufacture, storage, acquisition, transportation, mailing, import into Ukraine for the purpose of use in the sale of goods, sale or distribution of counterfeit money, state securities existing in paper form, state lottery tickets, excise tax stamps or holographic security elements.
A subordinate of the organiser of the criminal group is suspected under Part 2 of Article 255 and Part 3 of Article 127 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — participation in a criminal organisation and torture.
“The criminal organisation was created by a citizen previously convicted multiple times, who drew serving senior officials of the SBU, the Office of the Prosecutor General, the National Police, and representatives of the criminal underworld into its activities. Under the protection of law enforcement, members of the organisation ensured the operation of fraudulent call centres that swindled citizens of Ukraine and foreigners, the sale of narcotic drugs, as well as the illegal production of counterfeit cigarettes and forged foreign currency, among other things,” the statement says.
A second criminal organisation
On 4 November, NABU and the SAPO reported the exposure of another criminal organisation whose activities were investigated during the special operation “Carthage”. The first organisation was exposed in early September. It operated within the Office of the Prosecutor General and was engaged in ensuring the operation of call centres in exchange for regular unlawful benefits, as well as legalising illegally obtained funds.
The second organisation brought together several law enforcement agencies and representatives of the criminal world. NABU claims that certain representatives of the SBU, the National Police and the Office of the Prosecutor General are involved. The organiser is a citizen convicted three times who used long-standing ties with fellow law enforcement officers from Zhytomyr region for criminal activities.
Another key suspect, “the Mexican”, has a long criminal past. According to investigators, he was involved in distributing drugs through the U420 chain of shops, which operated openly in various cities across Ukraine. The network was shut down after an investigation by Bihus.info: journalists found that the products contained banned substances. In NABU-intercepted conversations, members of the organisation discussed taking revenge on Denys Bihus — dousing him with acid. They also discussed reprisals against opinion leaders.
Another line of the organisation’s activity was counterfeiting euros. The perpetrators set up a fully fledged printing workshop where they produced counterfeit banknotes.
They were also involved in contract torture and kidnappings — not only in Ukraine, but abroad as well.