Police officer extorted a bribe in bitcoins in Khmelnytskyi

A senior police investigator in Khmelnytskyi demanded a bribe in cryptocurrency for not disclosing intimate photos — the law enforcement officer gained access to the photos after conducting a search of the apartment.

According to the website of the Khmelnytsky Regional Prosecutor’s Office, the court will consider charges against the investigator on the fact of «extortion of other people’s property and legalization of property obtained by criminal means.» The law enforcement officer, whose name has not been disclosed, extorted a bribe of $ 6,000 in bitcoin from a married couple. In exchange for the money, the investigator promised not to distribute intimate photos of the couple, which he had illegally gained access to.

As it became known, having received part of the money (UAH 75,000) in cryptocurrency, the investigator exchanged it for fiat currency and transferred it to his own bank card. At the time of writing, the accused is under house arrest, he has been suspended from his position, and his property has been seized.

It is worth reminding that this is not the only case of cryptocurrency fraud in Ukraine (though the first known of such a «spicy» nature). Recently, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced the liquidation of an underground mining farm near Kharkiv that was stealing electricity in the frontline areas of eastern Ukraine. According to law enforcement officials, during the searches, investigators found mining equipment, which became one of the key pieces of evidence of criminal activity. The pre-trial investigation is currently underway.