Police officers in Odesa have dismantled an interregional network of illegal arms sales operated by three residents of Lviv region. The group sold Kalashnikov rifles through both face-to-face meetings and postal shipments, carefully disguising the packages and the payment methods.
The operation was conducted by officers from the Odesa division of the Department of Internal Security of the National Police of Ukraine, in cooperation with investigators from Odesa police, under the procedural guidance of the Kyiv District Prosecutor’s Office in Odesa and with the support of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
Details of the illegal operation:
- The suspects, aged 34 to 46, personally handed over weapons to clients in Lviv or sent them via postal services to buyers from other regions.
- Packages were labeled as containing sports supplements to avoid suspicion.
- Full prepayment in cash was required—$1,000 per rifle.
- Clients who had to wait for their orders received extra rifle components as a “bonus.”
- In one case, a buyer hid cash in a hollowed-out book and mailed it as a “gift.”
Police executed authorized searches, during which they found and seized:
- Over $40,000 in cash;
- Firearms;
- Various types of grenades;
- Ammunition.
The suspects have been charged under:
- Part 1 of Article 263 – unlawful handling of weapons;
- Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – crimes committed by an organized group.
These charges carry a penalty of up to 7 years in prison.
Detention measures were imposed, with bail amounts ranging from 90,000 to over 2 million UAH, depending on each individual’s role in the operation.
The investigation continues, with law enforcement working to uncover further instances of illegal arms trafficking.