Now, operatives of the strategic investigations department in the Rivne region, regional police investigators, with the involvement of the KORD special forces, the National Guard of Ukraine and employees of the regional police operational headquarters, are conducting authorized searches at the places of buying, processing amber and at the place of residence of the group members. A significant amount of processed and unprocessed stone has already been seized..

According to the results of measures to combat the illegal extraction of raw amber, law enforcement officers exposed the group that established the purchase, processing and further export of precious stones.

The group consisted of four residents of the Sarnensky district, each of whom was responsible for his own area of \u200b\u200bactivity. The organizer controlled the activities of the group and distributed the funds received from the underground business, other participants looked for customers for the wholesale sale of stones, were engaged in the purchase of raw amber, organized the processing of the stone, were responsible for its storage and subsequent sale.

The so-called office was located in a garage on the territory of a holding owned by one of the group members. In order not to get into the field of view of the police and in order to conspire with criminal activity, they worked behind closed doors.. It was possible to get to the so-called office only after prior coordination of the date and time of the meeting by telephone.

The cost of raw amber was determined on the spot after its inspection. The price depended on the fraction, quality and color of the stone. Settlements were made only in cash.. Subsequently, the stones were processed and exported outside customs control to other countries..

Some of the funds received from the sale of stones were used to develop their underground amber business, the rest was distributed among all members of the group.

Criminal proceedings open at h. 2 tbsp. 240-1 (Illegal extraction, marketing, acquisition, transfer, shipment, transportation, processing of amber) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The sanction of article prescribes punishment in the form of imprisonment for a period of four till seven years with confiscation of property.