Arms dealers, including a prison employee, were apprehended in the Vinnytsia region
Law enforcement officials dismantled a distribution network for firearms that the organizers manufactured by modifying air pistols in makeshift workshops. In addition to civilians, the criminal group included a junior inspector from one of the correctional facilities in Vinnytsia Oblast, who was involved in the technical work and the transfer of goods.
This was reported by the State Bureau of Investigations.
The group members had clearly defined roles: some converted the weapons into functional firearms, others handled online marketing, and still others were responsible for logistics and shipping via postal services. Investigators documented at least five instances of the sale of revolvers and ammunition, the serviceability of which was confirmed by expert analysis. During a joint operation by the State Bureau of Investigations, the National Police, and the Security Service of Ukraine, the illegal activity was completely shut down.
Currently, all suspects have been notified of charges of illegal handling of weapons as part of a premeditated conspiracy. The court ordered round-the-clock house arrest for the suspects as a preventive measure during the investigation. The perpetrators face up to 7 years in prison for their crimes, given the systematic nature of the sale of dangerous items during the war with Russia. Further investigative actions are aimed at identifying all possible buyers of the modified weapons.
Earlier, the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office referred to court the case of three members of an organized group involved in the illegal trade of weapons and ammunition.
In the Sumy region, during operational activities, SBI officers discovered an ammunition cache set up by Russian military personnel near the border. It contained nearly forty anti-tank mines and 10 homemade explosive devices.
In the Chernihiv region, border guards and police officers discovered a cache of ammunition in an uninhabited building in one of the villages. Serviceable ammunition will be transferred to the Defense Forces, and unserviceable ammunition will be destroyed.
