An official of the State Geology and Mineral Resources of Ukraine has been exposed for facilitating the illegal extraction of 5 tons of amber
This is reported by ThePublic.info citing the Telegram channel Office of the Prosecutor General and Telegram channel State Bureau of Investigation.
The investigation established that the official was involved in the activities of a criminal organization that, during 2022–2024, carried out illegal amber extraction in the Rivne region. The individual is charged with participation in a criminal organization and aiding in illegal subsoil extraction (Part 5, Article 27, Part 4, Article 28, Part 3, Article 240-1, Part 3, Article 255 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
In May 2025, prosecutors, investigators of the DBR, and SBU officers uncovered members of the criminal organization who, under the guise of geological exploration of a subsoil site, extracted amber and sold it within the region.
"A total of seven participants, including a former director of one of the branches of the State Enterprise 'Lisy Ukrayiny' (Forests of Ukraine), illegally extracted over 5 tons of precious stones. According to expert conclusions, the environmental damage caused by unauthorized subsoil use amounts to over 354 million hryvnias," reports the prosecutor's office.
In May, they were notified of suspicion of creating, leading, and participating in a criminal organization, as well as illegal amber extraction using official position. During the pre-trial investigation, the involvement of a State Geology and Mineral Resources Agency official in illegal gemstone extraction and participation in the aforementioned criminal organization was established.
The official from the State Geology and Mineral Resources Agency assisted the offenders: advising on the selection of extraction sites; accompanying the process of purchasing and processing special permits for development; preparing documents on behalf of a private company; organizing cooperation with project organizations to give the illegal activity the appearance of legality; constantly advising the members of the criminal organization on report and document preparation, among other things, according to the DBR.
The pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings is conducted by the Main Investigation Department of the DBR under the operational support of the Main Operational Department of the DBR and the Main Counterintelligence Support Department for Critical Infrastructure Objects of the SBU.
