An indictment has been filed against 14 people in an investigation into a gang involved in scams in fictitious online stores and money laundering. According to investigators, more than 5.5 thousand people were harmed by his activities. people for the amount of PLN 4.3 million.
An indictment against 14 people ended the investigation conducted by CBSP and the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Gdańsk. The members of the gang are mainly residents of the Tri-City and the surrounding area.
According to the collected evidence, the defendants offered non-existent electronic equipment and household appliances through 23 fictitious online stores. The offers were posted via Internet portals in 2016-2018, when the first strike against the gang was carried out.
– The money obtained from crimes was “laundered” through bank accounts set up for third parties, the so-called poles and on cryptocurrency exchanges. The collected evidence shows that the accused could have committed crimes to the detriment of over 5.5 thousand. victims, and the total amount of damage amounted to almost PLN 4.3 million – informed the spokeswoman of the Central Police Investigation Bureau, subinsp. Iwona Jurkiewicz.
As a result of intensive procedural activities, the investigation secured over 920,000 PLN constituting material evidence in the case.
Indictment against over 3.5 thousand. pages
The evidence material was collected in 1.5 thousand. volumes, and the indictment counts over 3.5 thousand. pages.
– The allegations concern the management and participation in an organized crime group, fraud through 23 fictitious online stores and laundering of money from these crimes on bank accounts opened on the so-called poles and on cryptocurrency exchanges – explained the spokesperson of the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Gdańsk, Marzena Muklewicz.
She emphasized that the defendants were also charged with possession and marketing of significant amounts of narcotic drugs.
– The allegations also concern possession of pornographic content, hacking into a bank account and stealing funds from it, fraud to the detriment of mobile operators and obstruction of official activities carried out by police officers – the prosecutor enumerated.
A preventive measure in the form of pre-trial detention was applied to seven defendants. The charges may be punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Main photo source: KWP Gdańsk