Lviv Police Expose Group Involved in Illegal Arms Sales
Law enforcement officers documented the sale of three Kalashnikov rifles by a group of offenders for 130,000 hryvnias. Additional weapons and ammunition were seized during searches at the detainees’ residences. They face up to seven years of imprisonment for their offenses.
Investigation Details
The offenders were exposed by operatives and investigators from Police Department No. 2 of Lviv District Police Department No. 2, in collaboration with operatives from the Security Service of Ukraine in Lviv region under the procedural guidance of the prosecution authorities.
It was established that 50-year-old and 51-year-old residents of Zaporizhia region found a ‘client’ to whom they promised to sell three Kalashnikov rifles. After receiving 130,000 hryvnias into a bank account, the offenders sent a package with the ‘goods’ using one of the postal services.
Subsequently, the suspects were detained in accordance with Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.
Seizure of Weapons and Ammunition
During authorized searches at the detainees’ residences, law enforcement officers discovered and seized:
- four Kalashnikov rifles and ammunition for them
- an RGD-5 grenade
- an anti-tank mine
- other physical evidence
All seized items were sent for examination to the Lviv Scientific Research Forensic Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
The detainees were charged with committing a criminal offense under Part 2 Article 28 (Commission of a criminal offense by a group of persons by prior conspiracy) and Part 1 Article 263 (Illegal handling of weapons, ammunition, or explosive substances) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The sanction of the article provides for imprisonment for a term of three to seven years.
Pre-trial investigation is ongoing, and soon the court will decide on preventive measures for the suspects.