Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
NABU and SAP, within the framework of operation “Carthage,” uncovered a criminal organization whose participants arranged the systematic provision of improper benefits to high-ranking law enforcement officials for unobstructed operation of fraudulent call centers and other illegal businesses. At least 12 people were involved, including individuals from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Office of the Prosecutor General, the National Police, and criminal networks.
This was reported by the Specialized Anti-Cabotage Prosecutor's Office.
“During the pretrial investigation, it was established that the organizer of the criminal organization, who had previously been convicted multiple times, involved current high-ranking officials of the Security Service of Ukraine, the Office of the Prosecutor General, the National Police, and representatives of the criminal milieu in the illegal activity,” the statement reads.
It is noted that this ensured the unobstructed operation of fraudulent call centers that deceived Ukrainian citizens and foreigners, sold narcotic drugs, and illegally produced counterfeit cigarettes and fake foreign currency.
“In addition, the participants of the criminal organization were involved in assaults, kidnappings, and inflicting bodily harm for the benefit of the organization. It should be noted that, according to the investigation’s version, the criminal organization used corrupt ties in law enforcement to protect illegal activity and obtain shadow profits,” emphasized the SAP.
The investigation continues.
Reminder:
4 in September NABU and SAP reported that within the special operation “Carthage” they uncovered the activity of a criminal organization whose members systematically received improper benefits from fraudulent call centers and laundered multimillion-dollar fortunes. The organizer of the scheme was identified as Serhiy Kropiva, deputy head of the Department of International Legal Cooperation.
5 in September the Office of the Prosecutor General confirmed that at night detectives from NABU conducted investigative actions in service premises used by the Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, his first deputy Maria Vdovichenko, and other employees and structural units of the Office of the Prosecutor General. At the same time, the searches in the Office of the Prosecutor General were linked to access by NABU detectives to case materials, including those concerning possible “illegal activity” by anti-corruption officials.
The main defendant in the Carthage operation, Serhiy Kropiva, was detained by NABU detectives in Lviv. He was most likely moving toward the border and trying to leave Ukraine.
At that time, Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko denied involvement in shielding fraudulent call centers and ordered checks in the Office of the Prosecutor General, with employees of divisions related to such cases to be checked with polygraph tests. Kravchenko also stated that Serhiy Kropiva, who appears in NABU and SAP’s investigation as part of the Carthage operation, has already been suspended.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Операція «Карфаген»: НАБУ і САП викрили схеми підкупу правоохоронців, які сприяли діяльності кол-центрів – Центр журналістських розслідувань". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: DosieNews.Info.