Criminal group that stole icons throughout Ukraine to face trial

For two years, a criminal group has stolen 1,860 icons. Photo: gp.gov.ua

The Prosecutor's Office of the Ternopil region sent an indictment to the court against three persons who, during 2018-2020, stole icons from churches and monasteries in different regions of Ukraine, reports the press service of the Prosecutor General’s Office.

“According to the investigation, a previously convicted resident of the Odessa region proposed two residents of the region to earn money by stealing church attributes,” the report says. “The group acted during 2018-2020, stealing valuable icons from churches and monasteries, sending them by mail to Odessa. Later, experts restored the icons and sold them to collectors. Among their clients were businessmen, high-ranking officials and residents of European countries”.

The total cost of the stolen is over UAH 2.5 million.

Members of the criminal group were involved in thefts from churches and monasteries in the Ternopil, Vinnytsia, Odessa, Lviv and Chernihiv regions.

As reported, Ternopil law enforcers exposed a criminal group that during 2018-2020 stole 1,860 icons from churches in different regions of Ukraine.

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