In Poltava region, the police exposed a criminal group that organized a network of gambling establishments in several regions of Ukraine
The illegal business was exposed by the employees of the regional department of strategic investigations together with the investigative department of the Poltava region police, under the procedural guidance of the Poltava regional prosecutor's office and the force support of the special police unit “KORD”.
Ivan Vyhivskyi, Poltava region police chief, noted: “Contrary to the requirements of the Law of Ukraine “On State Regulation of Activities for the Organization and Conduct of Gambling”, the criminal group created a network of gambling establishments in the Poltava and Kharkiv regions. To provide illegal services, accomplices used computer equipment and slot machine simulation programs. In addition, participants in the illegal business created an Internet site for online games.”
The police conducted 15 authorized searches at the addresses of gambling establishments, residence and registration of those involved, as well as in the cars they used.
Dmytro Buchenko, Head of Strategic Investigations Department in Poltava Oblast, said:
“During the searches, a pistol and its cartridges were seized; money in national and foreign currency; mobile phones with SIM cards, computer equipment, servers, routers, CCTV cameras, flash drives, bank cards, draft records, business cards and advertising posters with information about the Internet resource”.
Police investigators carry out a pre-trial investigation under Part 2 of Art. 203-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — the organization or conduct of gambling without a license to conduct the relevant type of activity for the organization and conduct of gambling, committed by a group of persons under the prior conspiracy. The issue of opening proceedings under Part 1 of Art is also resolved. 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — illegal storage of firearms and war supplies without the permission provided by law.
For the conduct of illegal gambling business, by a person previously convicted of illegal activities in the organization or for conducting gambling or lotteries, or for a previous conspiracy by a group of persons, the Criminal Code provides for a fine of from 680 thousand to 850 thousand hryvnias. And for illegal possession of weapons, up to 7 years in prison is provided.
Poltava region police communication department
