Farmers in Ukraine's Odesa region report seizure of their harvest

The first to suffer was a large-scale agri-business, Zlahoda Ltd., in the region's Izmail district, it said.

"In April 2017, the Justice Ministry abolished the registration data of the agri-business by issuing an order on the basis of a formal and groundless complaint from the raiders, which was written, by the way, on half a page, without any attachments," Ukrainian News said.

The document was considered by the Justice Ministry's State Registration Complaints Commission. The Commission met behind closed doors, without notifying Zlahoda. The farmers knew nothing about the complaint and its consideration. It was followed by the use of force by the raiders.

Read alsoRaiders seize twice as many agri-businesses in 2017 as last year – mediaDuring the summer of 2017, unidentified young people carrying firearms visited the farmers and seized their crops. At the same time, local law-enforcement agencies ignored claims filed by the agrarians. A recent attempt to seize the harvest was reported in the middle of September 2017. Threatening with weapons, unknown people beat farmers and withdrew an alfalfa yield from the agri-business' storage facility. It was later found in a warehouse and arrested under a ruling issued by an investigating judge.

The publication also mentioned an attack on the son of Zlahoda's head in late September; the law enforcers also did not address the incident.

On October 10, the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine, in accordance with a court decision dated September 14, opened a criminal investigation into banditry and the creation of an organized criminal gang.

In addition, the Specialized Anti-corruption Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine launched criminal proceedings regarding the abuse of office by members of the said Commission.