Losses exceeded 400 million hryvnias: two large-scale schemes for seizing natural gas were exposed in Ukraine
Law enforcement officers have exposed the organizer of two large-scale schemes for the illegal appropriation of natural gas, the losses from which exceeded 400 million hryvnias. The perpetrators acted through controlled companies, manipulated documents and interfered with information systems in order to resell the stolen resources and legalize profits through fictitious financial transactions.
This was reported by the press service of the National Police.
It is noted that law enforcement officers have uncovered large-scale criminal schemes in the gas sector, organized by the director of one of the private companies. Company officials, together with accomplices, using controlled enterprises, illegally seized natural gas belonging to both the state operator of the gas transportation system of Ukraine and a large foreign trader.
In the first case, the stolen volume reached 86 million m³ of gas , which caused losses to the state-owned enterprise of over 250 million hryvnias .
In the second, the organizers of the scheme seized the resources of a foreign company, causing losses of almost 5 million euros (over 150 million hryvnias). The total damage exceeded 400 million hryvnias .
Law enforcement officers found out that illegally obtained gas was resold through a number of controlled structures, and the funds received were legalized by contributing to the authorized capitals of commercial enterprises. Thus, one of them increased its authorized capital from UAH 2,600 to UAH 200 million in just a short time.
To mask their activities, fictitious financial and business transactions through third-party companies were used. In total, more than 196 million hryvnias were transferred, which were registered as contributions to the authorized capital on the same day. Part of the money was used to purchase luxury real estate in Kyiv.
Forensic economic examinations confirmed the losses incurred — over UAH 250 million to the state operator and almost EUR 5 million to the foreign trader. Law enforcement officers also established that over UAH 15 million was withdrawn through dubious financial transactions to conceal their origin.
The organizer of the schemes, the director of a private company, as well as his accomplices who held managerial positions in the company, were notified of suspicion. Their actions are qualified under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (embezzlement or embezzlement of property in especially large amounts) and Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (legalization of proceeds from crime). The sanctions provide for up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property .
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. Law enforcement officers are conducting further investigative actions to hold all participants in the transactions accountable and ensure compensation for the damages caused.
Earlier, the National Police of Ukraine, together with their Moldovan colleagues, exposed a criminal group that was engaged in fraud under the guise of delivering cars from the USA . The criminals defrauded at least five Ukrainians of more than 2 million hryvnias. The leader of the gang, a citizen of Ukraine, was detained in Moldova.
Recall that military counterintelligence and investigators of the Security Service of Ukraine exposed a large-scale embezzlement of over UAH 1 billion allocated for the purchase of food products for the Armed Forces during March-December 2022.
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