In the Khmelnytskyi region, nearly 57,000 metric tons of peat were illegally extracted, resulting in losses of 142 million hryvnias

In the Khmelnytskyi region, the director of a private company was notified that he is suspected of illegally extracting and selling peat without a special permit. 

According to the investigation, more than 113,000 cubic meters of peat—nearly 57,000 metric tons—were extracted from a plot of land spanning over 2.6 hectares in the Shepetivka District.

The land was designated for personal farming. The work resulted in the creation of six ponds, and the environmental inspection agency estimated the damage to the state at nearly 142 million hryvnias.

During 12 searches, law enforcement officers discovered nearly 23 metric tons of finished products and 65 metric tons of raw materials. The court also seized the property of the 38-year-old suspect.

Source: Office of the Prosecutor General

In the Cherkasy region, a member of one of the region’s city councils was notified of his status as a suspect in a case involving the illegal extraction and sale of sand. According to the investigation, the two incidents could have caused the state a total loss of nearly 750 million hryvnias, and five suspects are already implicated in the scheme. Law enforcement officials also allege the illegal sale of extracted raw materials and the laundering of the proceeds.

Law enforcement officials have notified the director of a company—which, according to the investigation, illegally extracted nearly 38,000 metric tons of sandstone in the Vinnytsia region—that he is a suspect. The losses incurred by the state are estimated at over 337 million hryvnias.

Prosecutors filed an indictment with the court against the former director of a company that was involved in extracting sand from the Desna River in the Kyiv region. According to the investigation, nearly 39,000 metric tons of sand were illegally extracted, causing 22.5 million hryvnias in environmental damage.