The cyber police officials of the National Police of Ukraine exposed the activities of a criminal group that organized the illegal international telephone communication channel, causing operators the losses, totaling the hundreds of thousands of hryvnias, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

“A group of individuals, using special telecommunications equipment, presented international calls as local ones. The amount of damage is being established. According to the preliminary information, it can reach the hundreds of thousands of hryvnias. The police conducted eight authorized searches in residences of the members of the criminal group in three regions of Ukraine simultaneously", the Cyberpolice Department of the National Police of Ukraine in the Chernivtsi region informed.

The criminal proceeding was initiated upon the fact of illegal interference in operation of electric networks of mobile communication operators on part 2 of Art. 361 (unauthorized interference in the operation of computers, automated systems, computer networks or telecommunication networks) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Eight authorized searches were conducted in Chernivtsi, Rivne, Sumy and Kiev. More than 1.5 thousand SIM-cards of telecommunication operators of Ukraine, computer equipment, more than a dozen mobile phones and flash drives were seized.

The technique is aimed at examination. After receiving the results, it will be decided whether to press charges against the criminal group participants. They may be imprisoned for up to six years.

Earlier, Cyberpolitics exposed a hacker who created programs to steal funds from participants in crypto-currency exchanges.