It has been established that a 36-year-old suspect, together with accomplices, organized an underground gambling establishment in Zhytomyr in 2021. They rented premises, set up computers, and provided access to gambling games via the Internet – without any license.

At the end of December 2021, a client, to whom the illegal gambling establishment owed 30,000 hryvnias in winnings, met with four men, including the suspect, at a hotel and restaurant complex. Instead of repaying the debt, they threatened the victim, beat him (causing moderate bodily harm), and robbed him of 57,000 hryvnias.

In addition, the suspect had influence in the criminal environment of the region: he effectively managed groups committing serious crimes, financed and organized material support ("warmed") for convicts in correctional colonies in the region (money, cigarettes, food, etc.), and resolved conflicts between criminal elements, earning illegal profits for this.

Law enforcement officials informed him of the suspicion, but the man left the country and was placed on an international wanted list. For several years, the suspect hid abroad, avoiding responsibility.

Thanks to the coordinated actions of the Office of the Prosecutor General, the Zhytomyr Regional Prosecutor's Office, and the competent authorities of the Kingdom of Denmark, the suspect was detained and handed over to Ukrainian law enforcement on December 2, 2025. The man is charged with robbery, illegal organization of gambling, and establishing and spreading criminal influence (Part 2 of Article 187, Part 2 of Article 203-2, Part 1 of Article 255-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

Currently, the suspect has been placed in custody with the possibility of bail.

Materials regarding other participants in the criminal group have been separated into a separate proceeding.

The pre-trial investigation is being conducted by investigators of the Main Investigation Department of the National Police in Zhytomyr region.

According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in a lawful manner and established by a court verdict.