Senior Ukrainian law enforcement officials charged in sprawling scam call center case
Accoridng to Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies, the group was also involved in torture-for-hire, kidnappings, extorting millions of dollars, and other crimes.
Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies charged five members of a criminal group accused of protecting scam call centers, drug trafficking and currency counterfeiting on November 5. The suspects include senior officials from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), National Police and Prosecutor General's Office, according to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU).
Two suspects were placed in pre-trial detention by the High Anti-Corruption Court. The investigation is part of a broader probe into an alleged network supporting scam call centers. The group's leaders, Andriy Osipov and Yehor Birkin, were identified in media reports. They allegedly engaged in torture-for-hire, kidnappings, extortion, and other crimes.
Following the allegations, SBU chief Oleksandr Poklad dismissed two implicated officials and promised assistance in the investigations. The SBU suspended officers involved. Volodymyr Tsenov, deputy head of the National Police's Strategic Investigations Department, was detained for two months by the High Anti-Corruption Court, as he allegedly protected scam call centers for bribes.
Another suspect, Vitalii Rybalka, was remanded in custody for two months without bail, accused of involvement in violent crimes, including torture. Rybalka denies the accusations. On November 4, NABU searched SBU officials' premises under a court warrant, with one official reportedly obstructing the search and threatening to use a firearm.
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