Underground trade: Criminals sold Russian machine guns and explosives

The security service prevented the illegal sale of weapons and ammunition from the Dnepropetrovsk and Kherson regions. As a result of operational activities, the organizers of two underground sales channels for weapons of destruction, who were selling weapons obtained in places of former military clashes in the territory of de-occupied areas, were detained.

The press service of the SBU reported this.

It is noted that among those seized from the attackers were explosives, live grenades, an anti-tank grenade launcher and Russian-made Kalashnikov assault rifles.

“It was established that, for example, they wanted to sell the Russian AK-12 automatic carbine for almost 60 thousand UAH, and the cost of the grenade launcher was estimated at 14.5 thousand UAH,” the SBU noted.

According to the investigation, the attackers sought out their clients through their own connections among representatives of the criminal environment.

Thus, in the Dnepropetrovsk region, one of the defendants was detained, having prepared an entire arsenal of “trophy” weapons for sale.

He kept weapons and ammunition in his own house, in which the following was found:

• Kalashnikov light machine gun;
• 2 assault rifles: AK-12 and AK-74;
• 8 grenade launcher shots;
• 9 combat grenades;
• explosives with a detonator;
• more than 1 thousand cartridges of various calibers.

In addition, more than 40 artillery shells were seized from the attacker's storage facility.

Another defendant was detained in the Kherson region, trying to illegally sell a Kalashnikov assault rifle with cartridges and a Russian RShG-2 grenade launcher.

Also during searches in the private house of the detainee, the following was confiscated:

• RGD-5 grenades;
• grenade launcher shots;
• 5.45 caliber cartridges.

“Based on the collected evidence, both detainees were informed of suspicion under Part 1 of Art. 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal handling of weapons, ammunition or explosives) and a preventive measure in the form of detention was chosen,” the SBU emphasized.

They added that the attackers face up to 7 years in prison.

As reported by the SBU, all seized weapons are planned to be transferred to the needs of the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine.