The leader of a racketeering gang from Zakarpattia, who tried to hide from justice in the EU, was detained in the Czech Republic.
According to the SBU, the detention was made possible by the cooperation of Ukrainian law enforcement, Interpol and the Czech police.
According to the case file, the gang extorted money from local residents, threatening them with physical violence in case of refusal. In 2021, the group’s leader forced an entrepreneur to pay $110,000 of a non-existent debt. After law enforcement officers served him with a notice of suspicion, he fled abroad.
As a result of lengthy search operations, the suspect was put on the international wanted list and detained in Prague. Now he is to be extradited to Ukraine, where he will stand trial for extortion and death threats. The racketeer faces up to 7 years in prison for this crime.