Criminals to be judged for burglary of 26 churches in Lviv region

A criminal group that was engaged in the theft of cultural and historical treasures from churches will be brought to a court in the Lviv region. According to investigators, the law-breakers committed 26 thefts from churches in the period from October 2015 to February 2016, as reported by the press service of the prosecutor's office in the Lviv region. 

As noted, the four members of an organized criminal group carefully prepared for the crimes, searching remote churches in the countryside. From the churches they stole money, church utensils, household appliances, and spent the money obtained in an illegal way on their own needs. 

The organizer of the group searched for such a church in the Internet, explored the vicinity, put down the coordinates to locate a church on sheets to be burnt afterwards or sometimes stored them on his mobile phone. Then he called the executors, chose a meeting place, gave the accomplices instructions on the planned actions before committing a new offense and personally participated in the theft. The stolen money and valuables he kept at home, and then distributed them among the members of the organized group. 

The criminals were exposed and arrested. At present, the organizer and the two members of the organized group, including one minor, are in custody. The fourth law violator was released on bail, appointed by the court. 

Indictments against the offenders were filed in the court. The suspects face up to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.

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