SBU and PGO have disrupted NABU undercover operation

In April 2017 NABU started an undercover operation to embed the special agent to an organized criminal group consisting of current and former officials of the State Migration Service of Ukraine (SMSU). According to the operational data, upon prior conspiracy, the officials of the SMSU demanded and received funds for providing to foreigners the citizenship of Ukraine, certificates for temporary residence in Ukraine, as well as for speeding the production of biometric passports for Ukrainian citizens.

According to a legend, NABU agent acted on behalf of a foreign company interested in official employment for its employees, foreign citizens, in Ukraine. NABU agent made a direct contact with the First Deputy Head of the SMSU. According to operational data, she was one of the leaders of the criminal organization.  More details.

 

Disruption

On November 29, 2017, NABU undercover agent was detained by SBU and PGO officers. Thus, undercover operation conducted by NABU and SAPO, in cooperation with the FBI was disrupted.

6 NABU employees were detained for 30 hours and then released without any documents. The one – an undercover agent – was given notice of suspicion. In addition, SBU and PGO conducted searches in two NABU`s conspiratorial apartments and at the houses of 12 NABU employees and their relatives.

Main goal of this disruption was to reveal NABU undercover agents.

And though NABU secret agents network is saved, some of them, including legendary “agent Kateryna”, who successfully held an operation in the “amber mafia case” were illegally uncovered and abruptly defamed by PGO.

NABU is going to initiate an investigation of the abovementioned situation regarding detention of NABU employees and illegal actions of SBU and PGO employees.

 

Preconditions for disruption

Alleged provocation of bribery of SMSU official was used as a formal reason for detention of NABU agent.

However, in fact, this undercover operation had failed due to the leak of information. NABU has no authority for independent wiretapping and is forced to conduct it using SBU capacities only. Should NABU not receive the right for autonomous wiretapping, high risks of disruption of the secret operations will remain in the future.