Operation Carthage began in September. Its earlier stage concerned a group operating - according to NABU and SAP - in the Office of the Prosecutor General. The suspects allegedly accepted bribes to protect a network of illegal call centers and legalized money derived from crimes.
According to investigators, at least 12 people were involved in the group's activities, including active officers of the Security Service of Ukraine, the police, the Prosecutor General's Office and representatives of criminal circles.
Ukraińska Pravda, citing NABU and SAP materials, reported that the founder and leader of the organization was a man known under the pseudonym "Kryminalista". The website's law enforcement sources indicate that this is Andriy Osipov, who was previously detained.
52 call centers and thousands of employees
Investigators say the group coordinated the activities of at least 52 fake call centers, employing a total of at least 2,700 people. Their victims were not only citizens of Ukraine, but also citizens of other countries.
According to the findings of NABU and SAP, approximately PLN 7,000 was to be paid for the protection of one such office. dollars per month. The money was to be transferred in cryptocurrencies to previously indicated wallets.
As reported, people running the centers were to provide the addresses of the premises and their identifiers. Thanks to this - according to investigators - it was possible to control which places were under protection and subsequently prevent independent actions of officers against these offices.
The UP reports that at the end of July 2026, after receiving an order to intensify the fight against the centers, law enforcement officers were to warn the organization's members about the need to temporarily suspend their activities. They were advised to change their addresses, leave known premises and delete correspondence.
Charges against representatives of the services
Investigative materials include pseudonyms of people who allegedly cooperated with the organization. "Prajс" - one of the heads of the police's Strategic Investigations Department - was to be responsible for the protection of call centers by the police.
The policeman referred to as "Consultant" was to ensure security and coordinate some of the group's activities. In turn, the SBU major general, who went by the pseudonym "Akim", was supposed to protect the organization from the attention of other service officers.
The portal also reported that NABU officers detained the first deputy head of the SBU's national statehood protection department, General Serhiy Duka.
Fake euro and threats against journalists
NABU and SAP inform that in 2026, group members were to launch the production of counterfeit euro banknotes. For this purpose - as reported - a printing house equipped with specialized equipment and holographic matrices was organized.
Investigators also attribute involvement in kidnappings, beatings, extortion and planned attacks to the organization. In its official statement, NABU also lists the production of counterfeit cigarettes as one of the areas of illegal business.
One of the threads of the case is the U420 chain of stores. According to NABU and SAP, people associated with the group tried to influence decisions regarding the ban on substances used in the products sold. The materials from the investigation also include information about exerting pressure on journalists and activists.
