Police detain members of counterfeiters’ group in Lviv: they planned to put 100,000 counterfeit banknotes on the market
The criminals sold the 2006 USD 100 banknotes through currency exchange offices in the region or bought household appliances and gadgets for counterfeit money. The police detained the organisers and five members of the organised group. The distributors received 20% of the remuneration from the amount of funds sold. They seized $23,000, of which $17,000 was counterfeit.
The group was organised by two residents of the region aged 24 and 29. The younger one, as the immediate leader, coordinated the actions of the other members, stored the counterfeit, identified the places of sale of the counterfeit, conducted briefings and distributed the reward among all members of the group. Another provided the counterfeit currency to the sellers, having previously checked whether the banknotes were accepted at currency exchange offices, reported to the group leader and handed over the counterfeit money received from the sale.
Five other members of the group searched for distributors who received 20% of the proceeds, acted as drivers and sold the counterfeit themselves.
They sold old-style $100 banknotes issued in 2006 through currency exchange offices in different cities of the region in small amounts ranging from $1,000 to $3,500. They also used the notes to pay for the purchase of equipment or gadgets.
According to operative data, the criminals planned to issue 100,000 counterfeit dollars to the consumer market. To prevent their criminal intentions, law enforcement officers took measures to detain them.
The operatives of the Strategic Investigations Department in Lviv region of the National Police, with the force support of the Special Police Battalion, detained seven suspects. As a result of the searches, investigators seized UAH 221,000, over USD 23,000, of which 17,000 were counterfeit, 9 premium cars, and draft records.
Detectives of the SBU Department in Lviv region, under the procedural supervision of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office, served the detained members of the organised group a notice of suspicion under Part 2 and 3 of Art. 199 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (storage, transportation for use in the sale of goods, sale or sale of counterfeit money).
Pre-trial restraints were imposed on all suspects: six were held in custody with the right to be released on bail in the amount of UAH 242,240 to UAH 4,000,000, and one was placed under nightly house arrest.
The suspects face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property. The searches were conducted jointly with the Main Department of the National Police in Lviv region.