You're reading: Russian agents attempt to kidnap Russian citizen in Ukraine

Ukrainian counterintelligence officers from the SBU Security Service have thwarted an attempt of Russian special services to kidnap a Russian citizen with the help of local criminals.

The SBU press center on May 14 said a Russian in 2014 moved to Ukraine in a sign of disagreement with the Kremlin’s aggressive policy. Russian special services hired a group of residents of Kharkiv region, led by a former police officer, to bring him back to Russia.

“To steal a Russian citizen at his place of residence and transfer him to a designated place in Kharkiv region, the ringleader of the attackers hired representatives of local criminals for $23,000. The next part of the plan was to drug the Russian using sleeping pills and transport him across the state border of Ukraine to the territory of Russia for transfer to representatives of the special services of the Russian Federation,” the SBU said, adding that SBU agents and National Police operatives intervened.

Law enforcers detained all participants of the criminal group along with the $23,000 payment and evidence of the crime.

Criminal proceedings pursuant to Part 1 of Article 111 (high treason) and Part 2 of Article 146 (illegal deprivation of liberty or abduction) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine have been initiated. The issue of serving detainees suspicion of committing a crime and choosing against them a preventive measure in the form of detention is being decided.

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