The operation to detain the criminals was carried out by the Ministry of Interior together with the FSB of Russia, this corrupt plan turned out to be so large-scale. As a result, employees of the separate traffic police battalion of the traffic police No. 1 (located in the city of Aksai) of the Donskoy battalion and a number of civilians, including former employees of the battalion, were detained. According to the Ministry of the Interior Media, the criminal group of drivers extorted money.
The criminal plan worked as follows: on the section of the federal highway M-4 “Don”, the accomplices photographed passing cars and then, using a graphic editor, “drafted” fictitious evidence of violations of traffic rules by drivers.
Several kilometers along the route of the cars, traffic inspectors were already ambushed, who got this image. They slowed down the cars and informed the drivers about committing administrative offenses, and sometimes even criminal offences. Unable to withstand the pressure, supported by fictitious proofs of guilt, the drivers paid the police and the number of bribes, according to the Interior Ministry, ranged from 5000 to 500 thousand rubles. Such actions were repeatedly carried out by criminals.
Based on the collected material, investigators of the First Investigation Department (located in the city of Rostov-on-Don) of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Commission of Russia opened three criminal cases on the basis of a crime under part 6 of Article 290 of the Code of Criminal law of the Russian Federation (“Large taking of bribes”). According to this article, suspects face up to 15 years in prison. In total, law enforcement officers arrested 26 suspects and conducted 95 house searches at the suspects’ residences and places of business.
Work to identify and suppress corruption crimes continues, said the official representative of the Russian Interior Ministry, Irina Volk.