Former Ukrainian police officer suspected of kidnapping a cryptocurrency entrepreneur and extorting over 2.2 million dollars

According to Decrypt, the Kyiv regional prosecutor's office in Ukraine has completed a pre-trial investigation into a gang that includes four former police officers and one civilian with a criminal record, suspected of kidnapping a cryptocurrency entrepreneur through violence, intimidation, and false debt claims, extorting over $2.2 million.

The prosecution stated that the individuals involved targeted at least four victims, using law enforcement skills, official vehicles, and police identities to disguise their crimes, forcing victims to hand over funds and sign documents for non-existent debts. In one case, a victim from Kyiv was kidnapped at gunpoint and forced to sign a false debt document for $5 million.

The prosecution accused the individuals of creating and participating in an armed gang, kidnapping, illegal detention, robbery, extortion, and illegal possession of drugs. The gang's activities were terminated in November 2025, and all individuals involved have been dismissed from police duties, with the case materials transferred to the court.