A large sum of money was stolen in the center of Kyiv: 15 million hryvnias belonging to a currency exchange office disappeared from a vehicle near the exchange point
The incident caused widespread public resonance and drew the attention of law enforcement agencies, which have already launched an investigation and detained the suspected mastermind of the crime. According to information obtained from the Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office and confirmed by sources within law enforcement agencies, the criminals acted in an organized manner, preparing for the crime over an extended period. The procedural oversight in this case is carried out by the Holosiivskyi District Prosecutor’s Office of Kyiv. According to investigative data, the detained individual is a 46-year-old man who previously had criminal convictions and formerly served as a district police officer. In the 2000s, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison for intentional murder, but he was released from incarceration in 2015. Authorities have now charged him with theft committed by an organized group. The investigation revealed that the criminals meticulously planned the crime for almost a year. They monitored the transportation of the money, specifically paying attention to the time the funds remained in the car trunk near the currency exchange point, where large sums were stored. Before executing the theft, they prepared thoroughly: they cut an opening in the trunk and inserted a rope so that they could easily open it at the right moment without using additional tools. When the opportunity arose, the group members blocked the exit from the office to avoid any interference and to prevent an escape attempt. They then stole the bag with the money—almost 15 million hryvnias—from the trunk of the vehicle belonging to the currency exchange office. The detained suspect, accused of organizing and directly participating in the theft, has already been granted a preventive measure: a court has placed him in custody with the possibility of posting a bail of approximately 9 million hryvnias. The announcement of the suspicion indicates the seriousness of law enforcement’s intention to punish the perpetrators and restore justice in this case. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have promised to make every effort to locate and bring to justice all participants in the criminal scheme. An important part of this process is also clarifying all the circumstances of the planning and execution of the theft, as well as searching for and returning the stolen funds. This incident in the heart of the capital once again underscores the importance of strengthening security at objects handling large sums of money and improving the professional training of law enforcement agencies in combating criminal activities.