An illegal amber-processing workshop has been uncovered in the Rivne region, and hundreds of kilograms of amber have been seized
The police established that the illegal activity had been organised by a 31-year-old resident of the Sarny district. According to the investigation, in November last year he recruited five more acquaintances, aged between 17 and 43, into the scheme. According to preliminary information, the group’s members were making an estimated profit of 40,000 dollars a month.
Law enforcement officers uncovered the criminal group in April this year. During the initial investigative operations, they seized over 80 kilograms of amber. According to the results of gemmological examinations, its value exceeds 1.6 million hryvnias.
The investigation established that the group’s members were buying up raw amber of various grades without the necessary supporting documents. According to law enforcement officials, the amber was extracted from areas designated as nature reserves. It was then transported to a specially equipped workshop, where it was stored, sorted and processed, before being sold, in particular to foreign buyers.
As part of the investigation, police carried out 10 authorised searches. During the investigation, 656 kilograms of amber, electronic scales, mobile phones, a car and rough notes were seized. Law enforcement officials estimate that the value of the seized amber, based on black market prices, exceeds 1 million hryvnias.
The criminal proceedings are being investigated under Part 2 of Article 240-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine concerning the unlawful sale, purchase, storage, transport and processing of amber on a large scale and within the territories or sites of the nature reserve fund.
The issue of serving notices of suspicion on six residents of the Sarny district is currently being considered. Law enforcement officers are also establishing the possible involvement of other individuals in the unlawful activities.
The penalty under this article provides for imprisonment for a term of between four and seven years, with confiscation of property.
The investigation into the offence was carried out by detectives from the Sarny District Police Department in conjunction with operatives from the Strategic Investigations Directorate, under the procedural supervision of the Sarny District Prosecutor’s Office.
