Police dismantled a gang of extortionists in the Zhytomyr region who demanded money from a military serviceman.

In the Zhytomyr region, a man terrorized an injured soldier and his family. He demanded $3,000 from them and threatened to take their property.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing sources.

Case Details

According to sources, a 42-year-old resident of the city of Zvyagel, who had previously been convicted of robbery, along with two accomplices devised a scheme for illegal enrichment. He and his two acquaintances—a 53-year-old and a 52-year-old local residents—decided to blackmail the injured soldier.

Specifically, in November of this year, the man went to the home of a 38-year-old soldier and demanded $3,000 from him. The extortionist expected that due to his condition, the injured soldier would be unable to resist. At that time, the extortionist took a television from the soldier's home.

He returned the next day and stated that the soldier’s family had 15 days to pay the $3,000. Additionally, he demanded that the ownership rights to the victims’ property be transferred to him.

After a while, the man returned and reiterated his demands. By the end of November, he came to the soldier with an accomplice and threatened him with a knife. In response, the soldier's relatives gave him 10,000 hryvnias. He then set a final deadline for the couple to hand over the entire amount—December 3.

He also applied psychological pressure on the soldier and his family. That same evening, three accomplices came to the victims’ residence.

What Was Documented

During this visit, the soldier and his wife handed over $3,000 to the extortionists. However, all events were tracked by the police, who immediately detained the extortionist.

According to RBK-Ukraine, all three are now suspected of extortion committed repeatedly, in conspiracy by a group of individuals, under martial law (part 4 of Article 189 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). They face imprisonment for a term of seven to twelve years with property confiscation.

Earlier, RBK-Ukraine reported that law enforcement officers neutralized an extortion gang in the Chernivtsi region. It was revealed that the criminal organization was organized by a well-known figure in criminal circles, a 49-year-old from Chernivtsi.