Overview
- NABU and SAPO say they uncovered a criminal organisation that paid regular bribes to senior law‑enforcement officials to shield fraudulent call centers and other illegal businesses during searches carried out on Wednesday.
- Anti‑graft teams reported that a senior SBU official obstructed searches and threatened to use a firearm while SBU special forces arrived at search sites, prompting public clashes between investigators and the security service.
- SBU head Oleksandr Poklad dismissed two senior SBU officers named as subjects of the probe and the National Police have suspended implicated officers while the Prosecutor General’s Office has signalled cooperation.
- Investigators say the network ran at least 52 call centers across multiple regions, collected about $7,000 a month per center via crypto wallets, and was linked to drug sales, counterfeit currency, assaults and kidnappings.
- Prosecutors and anti‑corruption investigators are still processing evidence and have begun serving notices of suspicion and drafting charges, with officials warning the case could include cross‑border inquiries and wider institutional consequences.