In Odessa, unknown assailants kidnapped a businessman and demanded a million dollars

A group of four people suspected of kidnapping a businessman and extorting $1 million from him was apprehended in Odesa. According to the investigation, the mastermind behind the crime was a 46-year-old resident of Vinnytsia. He recruited three accomplices, aged 28 to 33, to carry out the illegal activities.

The Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office has notified all four suspects that they are suspected of unlawful deprivation of liberty and extortion—under Part 2 of Article 146 and Part 4 of Article 189 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

In addition to the organizer, the group included a foreign national, a resident of Odesa, and a resident of the Mykolaiv region.

According to the investigation, the four men and the victim had previously run a farming business together in the Mykolaiv region and sold grain.

When the business ran into financial difficulties, the suspects decided that the businessman allegedly owed them money. They used this as a pretext to extort money.

In early October of this year, the suspects arrived at an office on Marazlievska Street in Odesa, where they had invited the businessman.

During the meeting, the organizer of the attack began beating the man with his fists and a golf club. Threatening him with a knife, he pulled out a pistol and fired a shot toward the victim’s legs, then struck him on the head with the gun’s grip.

The other members of the group supported the organizer’s actions, threatened further violence, and prevented the businessman from escaping.

The perpetrators threatened to harm the man and his family and demanded that he hand over $1 million. Faced with a real threat to his life and health, the victim was forced to comply with their demands.

Subsequently, the group members continued to monitor the man and control his movements. For two weeks, they took turns staying at his home and driving him to and from work, effectively depriving him of the ability to move about freely.

In addition, the entrepreneur was forced to transfer property belonging to him and his close relatives to third parties.

Initially, the man was forced to travel to Mykolaiv. Later, one of the perpetrators drove him to Kyiv, where, under pressure, the victim signed a power of attorney granting control over his apartment.

After that, the suspects began demanding that he also transfer ownership of a house belonging to the entrepreneur’s mother to them.

At the request of the prosecutor’s office, the organizer and two accomplices were taken into custody without the right to post bail. The whereabouts of another member of the group are currently being determined.

Operational support for the case was provided by the Strategic Investigations Department in the Mykolaiv region of the Strategic Investigations Directorate of the National Police of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Office in the Mykolaiv region.

The pretrial investigation is being conducted by the Investigative Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Odesa region.

This was reported by the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office.