A scheme involving the illegal re-registration of cars worth 6.5 million hryvnias has been uncovered in Kyiv
Investigators from the capital’s police force, together with operatives from the Kyiv City Directorate of the Department of Internal Security, have uncovered a large-scale scheme involving illegal transactions using the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ database during the sale and purchase of vehicles.
According to the investigation, members of the group offered services for the rapid re-registration of cars without the physical presence of the owners. Transactions were carried out even in cases where sellers or buyers were abroad and unable to sign the documents.
The suspects produced forged vehicle roadworthiness certificates without conducting inspections, and also drew up purchase and sale agreements. The prepared documents and transaction details were entered into the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Unified State Register using qualified electronic signatures of authorised representatives from two trading companies.
To organise their activities, the perpetrators set up a server for remote access to the database and opened offices in the Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Cherkasy and Odesa regions. The work was coordinated by administrators, who were also responsible for finding clients, producing forged documents and entering false information into the register.
The scheme allowed for the reduction of mandatory taxes and fees, resulting in losses to the state budget. The cost of the services ranged from 3,000 to 10,000 hryvnias, depending on the complexity.
According to operational intelligence, since January 2025, the participants have received around 6.5 million hryvnias in illegal profits, having carried out almost 13,000 transactions.
During the searches, cash, documentation, seals and stamps, electronic keys and draft records were seized.
Twelve suspects have been served with notices of suspicion. They are charged with document forgery and unauthorised interference with information systems. The offences carry a maximum sentence of fifteen years’ imprisonment with additional restrictions.
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. The Pechersk District Prosecutor’s Office of Kyiv is overseeing the proceedings.
