In Ternopil region, the SBI identified a group of officials who were stealing millions of hryvnias worth of timber from the state

The employees of the SBI detained two foresters from one of the enterprises in Ternopil region and a private entrepreneur. Forestry workers andmerchants from Ternopil and other regions organized illegal logging, thus causing millions of hryvnias worth of damages to the state.

Bureau employees had been documenting the illegal activities of the criminal group for a year. Only during the detention, they tried to sell over two million hryvnias worth of timber products.

Employees of the forestry falsifying documents regarding the amount of timber harvested by the state and the areas designated for this purpose created undeclared remains of timber products. Later, this precious wood, mostly oak, was sold to enterprises, and the money received was divided among themselves.

Forestry employees have been detained on suspicion of embezzlement of other's property, committed upon prior conspiracy by a group of persons under martial law conditions (Part 4 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The sanction of the article provides for imprisonment for up to 3 years.

Investigative proceedings continue, and the final amount of the damages is being established.

Procedural guidance for the pre-trial investigation is provided by the Ternopil Regional Prosecutor's Office.