According to the investigation, the owner of the limited liability company, together with the director and two other employees of the enterprise, organized a scheme for the illegal extraction of natural gas outside of metering devices no later than August 2024.

On the territory of the autogas filling station, the suspects interfered with the operation of the metering devices using special equipment, connecting directly to the main system. As a result, the meters did not record the actual volume of gas extracted, allowing them to appropriate state resources in significant amounts without payment.

Subsequently, the unaccounted gas was sold through a mobile filling station in the city, receiving cash payments and evading any control.

Under the procedural guidance of prosecutors from the Zaporizhzhia Regional Prosecutor's Office, on December 5, 2025, four individuals were notified of suspicion of unauthorized interference in the operation of information (automated) systems, which led to the distortion of the information processing process, committed by a group of individuals in collusion during the state of martial law (Part 5 of Article 361 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). One of the suspects was detained directly during the illegal extraction of gas from the network in accordance with Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.

As a result of the conducted searches, special equipment for interfering with the operation of metering devices, handwritten notes, cash amounting to over 260,000 US dollars, and a mobile gas filling unit with cylinders were seized. 

The detained individual has been placed in custody as a preventive measure. The issue of applying a similar preventive measure to the other suspects is currently being resolved.

The pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings is being conducted by investigators of the investigative department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Zaporizhzhia region with operational support from the Criminal Investigation Department in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Note: according to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime until their guilt is proven in a lawful manner and established by a guilty verdict of the court.