Under the procedural guidance of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor's Office, three residents of Kryvyi Rih have been notified of suspicion for the illegal deprivation of liberty and extortion (Part 2 of Article 146, Part 4 of Article 189 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

According to the investigation, the perpetrators invited their acquaintance – a local entrepreneur – to a meeting at a café, where they organized his abduction. Wearing balaclavas, using force and threats with a weapon, they bound the man and led him out through a back exit.

The victim was taken to a private house in one of the villages of the Kryvorizhzhia district. For three days, he was beaten, tortured with a soldering iron, doused with boiling water, and demanded 500,000 US dollars for his release. They also threatened his family, demanding that they withdraw the missing person report.

Fearing exposure, the attackers took the man to a field and left him there, threatening him with retribution.

During searches of the detainees, weapons, a soldering iron, mobile phones, forged law enforcement IDs, vehicles, and cash were seized.

The investigation is ongoing, and other individuals involved in the crime are being identified.

The operation was conducted jointly with the staff of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Note: 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.