The court in the Odessa region has issued a well-founded decision in a case against a group of five participants involved in an organized criminal group, who were convicted of committing a range of serious crimes — illegal detention, kidnapping, and extortion of a significant ransom
This represents a truly important precedent in the fight against criminal authorities seeking to intimidate society and profit at the expense of defenseless citizens. According to information provided by the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, the criminal group operated in March 2021. At that time, the suspects kidnapped the son of local entrepreneurs engaged in business in Odessa and held him hostage, using fear and violence. Insider sources report that the victim was kept in premises despite security measures — the kidnappers demanded a ransom of one million dollars from his family. It is important to note that the kidnapping was not limited to Odessa; the criminals additionally transferred the hostage to Kyiv to complicate the search and arrest efforts. The exposure of this crime was made possible through joint efforts of law enforcement agencies, who promptly initiated an operation to detain the perpetrators. During the special operation, the criminals were arrested, and the kidnapped individual was freed. As a result of the investigation, the court sentenced three of the group members to the maximum terms — 10 years of imprisonment each — and two others to 8 years with confiscation of property. This sent an important signal to the criminal world: illegal actions face strict legal responsibility. All five convicts were held in custody until the court’s final decision was issued. This underscores the seriousness of the case and the attitude of Ukrainian judicial authorities towards such manifestations of crime. The background of this troubling incident includes more aspects. As early as late June 2024, a new criminal assault took place in Kyiv — two men kidnapped a cardiothoracic surgeon. They used a dangerous drug, referred to as "poison," and demanded a ransom of two million dollars from his family. This again confirms that criminal groups in Ukraine continue to act in large-scale, well-planned criminal operations aimed at obtaining substantial money and intimidating citizens. It is worth emphasizing that such crimes are not left unpunished. Court rulings, which, given their severity and clear legal basis, leave no room for improvisation or evasion for the criminals, serve as an important example for society and demonstrate that Ukrainian justice is consistently fighting organized crime, striving to make the country safer for every citizen.