The State Bureau of Investigation caught the organizers of a multi-million-dollar arms trafficking ring in Kropyvnytskyi red-handed
SBI agents successfully uncovered and dismantled a large-scale illegal firearms and ammunition trafficking ring in Kropyvnytskyi, which had been organized by an active-duty law enforcement officer in collaboration with a relative.
The perpetrators managed to sell an illegal arsenal worth approximately 1 million hryvnias before they came to the attention of investigators.
Currently, both suspects in the criminal case have been officially charged, and the court has ordered their detention as a preventive measure.
SBI investigators thoroughly documented the criminal activity and established the role of each participant within the illicit scheme.
The law enforcement officer launched this illegal business in March 2026 and involved his younger brother in the scheme, who was responsible for directly seeking out potential buyers.
The older brother cynically used his own official ID as a cover, which allowed him to pass through checkpoints unhindered and avoid mandatory inspections while transporting dangerous cargo.
In total, law enforcement agencies documented three separate incidents of the sale of firearms and ammunition of various calibers.
The final stage of the special operation took place in early summer, when the perpetrators attempted to deliver another batch of goods to their customers.
“On June 5, 2026, the law enforcement officer and his brother were detained while selling another batch,” the agency’s press service reported.
During urgent authorized searches of the detainees’ residences, operatives discovered a substantial arsenal of weapons and ammunition of unknown origin.
In addition, while examining their belongings, law enforcement officers found incriminating materials indicating the suspects’ anti-state stance. In particular, passports of the Russian Federation and the so-called “LNR” were seized from one of the brothers.
Currently, all seized items and documents have been sent for relevant expert analysis.
Both detainees have been formally charged in accordance with the current Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The law enforcement officer and his accomplice have been notified of their suspicion of carrying, storing, acquiring, and selling firearms as part of a premeditated conspiracy by a group of individuals (Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The penalty under this article is quite severe and provides for imprisonment for up to 7 years.
This was reported by the State Bureau of Investigations.
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