In Ukraine, authorities uncovered an arms trafficking network across several regions, leading to the arrest of 15 individuals.

Law enforcement agencies conducted a special operation within 24 hours to uncover the illegal sale of weapons across four regions of Ukraine. A total of 15 individuals were arrested.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).

"The Security Service and the National Police prevented the illegal sale of trophy weapons and ammunition in four regions of Ukraine," the statement said.

As a result of the special operation, 15 suspects were apprehended almost simultaneously within a day while attempting to establish an illegal trade in combat weaponry.

"Among the items seized from the perpetrators were Russian Kalashnikov rifles with an under-barrel grenade launcher 'Ochak', a batch of fragmentation grenades, and explosives," the SBU added.

Kiev Region

In the Kiev region, a 31-year-old local resident and four of his accomplices were detained for trading "trophy" weapons sourced from areas affected by previous battles on the eastern front.

After transporting the arsenals to the capital region, the criminals personally restored the combat capabilities of the munitions for sale through personal connections in criminal circles.

Additionally, two more criminal groups were neutralized in the Kiev region, which attempted to sell a Kalashnikov machine gun, a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher RPG-7V with rounds, and ammunition of various calibers.

A large-scale arms trafficking channel was uncovered in Ukraine across several regions (t.me/SBUkr)

Odessa

In Odessa, another dealer was caught "red-handed" while attempting to sell homemade explosive devices (HED) and combat grenades.

At the scene, law enforcement seized nearly 1 kg of TNT, homemade explosives, and a batch of F-1 and RGD grenades from the suspect.

Chernigov and Lutsk

In Chernigov, law enforcement apprehended three more members of a criminal group who were seeking clients for the sale of automatic weapons and explosives.

In Lutsk, a local resident was exposed while attempting to sell combat grenades to criminals. If the sale of the munitions had succeeded, he planned to "cover his tracks" and demanded payment through "anonymous" payment systems.

The perpetrators are currently in custody and face up to 7 years in prison.

As reported, at the end of December 2024, law enforcement agencies thwarted attempts at illegal arms and ammunition sales in several regions, particularly in the Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, and Kirovohrad regions.