The Zaporizhia District Prosecutor's Office sent an indictment to the court against 3 members of a criminal group from the Komyshuva OTG of the Zaporizhia Region, who were engaged in illegal felling of trees in protective plantations. During the searches, the investigators also found ammunition and explosives in the possession of the two suspects.
This was announced by the Department of Information Policy of the Zaporizhia District Prosecutor's Office.
The investigation established that from December 2022 to March 2024, three residents of Komyshuva OTG united in a criminal group and engaged in illegal cutting of trees in the Zaporizhzhya district. They sorted the received wood and sold it to the residents of the community.
Photo: zap.gp.gov.ua
During the searches of the homes and cars of the "black loggers", police investigators seized the remains of unsold wood, 6 chainsaws and their chains, money, etc.
Photo: zap.gp.gov.ua
In addition, the law enforcement officers discovered and seized 155 different-caliber cartridges, an F-1 grenade case, a UZRGM-type detonator, and more than 17 kg of explosives in the form of gunpowder from the two suspects.
Photo: zap.gp.gov.ua
Members of the gang are charged with illegal cutting of trees in protective plantations, which caused serious consequences for the state, as well as with illegal acquisition and storage of firearms (Part 2, Part 3 of Article 27, Part 3 of Article 28, Part 2, Part 4 of Article 246, Part 1 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
At the beginning of July, EcoPolitic reported a similar case. In the Mykolaiv region, 4 members of an organized criminal group illegally enrich themselves were cut down and sold trees of protective forest plantations.
