Officers with Kyiv's Solomyansky Police Division have been charged with kidnapping and extortion.
Two detectives and an inquest officer at the Unit, disguised as potential buyers of a Toyota Land Cruiser SUV, illegally detained a 50-year-old Lviv resident and his friend, according to the Internal Security Department of the National Police.
The officers accused the owner of the car of allegedly driving a stolen vehicle.
Read alsoMan threatening to blow up restaurant downtown Kyiv detained (UPDATE)Police officers then demanded US$10,000 for "dropping the case." They forced the man to call his brother to bring in to a designatied location part of the bribe. The culprits handcuffed their victim before going to pick up the money. At that moment, the victim's friend was being illegally held in one of the offices of the Solomyansky police department as hostage.
After police officers received EUR 2,000, they allowed the car owner to provide the remaining US$2,500 of the ransom later. Only after were both hostages released.
The State Bureau of Investigations initiated criminal proceedings against the police officers involved in the scheme.
Three law enforcers have already been served with charge papers.
The investigation is underway.
