Police officers of Odessa region detained “black” lumberjacks
The operatives of the Strategic Investigations Directorate in the Odessa region of the National Police documented and exposed the illegal activities of the group together with the investigators of the regional police.
The activity was organized by a 36-year-old resident of the region and involved the deputy chairman of one of the NGOs, a forester, an ecologist and local residents as accomplices.
Thus, the official of the AHG helped the organizer to manage the actions of the group members. The forester ensured the unhindered activity of loggers on the territory of the Pavlovsky Botanical Reserve and the Nature Reserve Fund of the Odessa region. Another member of the group was engaged in customer search and was responsible for the sale of illegally cut forest.
In order to chop quality wood - oak, ash, acacia - the organizer paid a percentage of sales to employees of one of the forestry companies, who provided information about the areas with the best forest. The cost of wood ranged from 1200 to 2000 hryvnias per 1 cubic meter.
On September 28, police officers under the procedural guidance of the Odessa Regional Prosecutor's Office detained the organizer and his seven assistants in accordance with Art. 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine immediately after the sale of the next batch of forest.
Detained members of the criminal group have already been informed of suspicions under Part 4 of Art. 246 (Illegal destruction or illegal transportation, storage, sale of forest) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Six suspects were taken into custody by the court, and another was given a preventive measure in the form of round-the-clock house arrest.
The sanction of the article provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a period of 5 to 7 years.
National Police of Ukraine
