Private “rehabilitation center”, where people were held against their will, was found in Dnipro

As reported by the press service of the Prosecutor’s Office of Dnipropetrovsk region.

The so-called “rehabilitation center” was located in a prive house in the Dnipri city and was barely accommodated for living.

Based on the lease agreement, the said premises were used by one of the charitable foundations.

According to law enforcement officers, those people allegedly underwent a course of rehabilitation from drug and alcohol abuse.

There were thirty people in the house during the inspection of the incident scene. Eleven of which were held against their own will.

The local Prosecutor’s Office initiated a criminal investigation into the fact of the illegal confinement of eleven people (Article 146, part 1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

As a reminder, on March 30, the SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) together the General Prosecutor’s Office exposed the illegal activities of an organized criminal group in Chernihiv region. The group acted under the guise of a center for the rehabilitation of drug addicts and has illegally deprived people of their freedom.

Organizers of this “business” were accepting orders for providing compulsory “treatment” to people, who suffer from drug, alcohol or other abuse in the opinion of their relatives or friends, in the so-called rehabilitation center.

As a result of the special operation, the SBU officers have released more than 200 illegally detained people who confirmed that they were subjected to tortures and maimed. In addition, 22 observers were detained, including three people who have performed organizational functions.

On the day of the special operation Serhiy Motsak, Director of the Center, told reporters that drug or alcohol addicts were brought to the center by their relatives. As well as denied the information about tortures.

“Six months ago, a person from Crimea who was a drug addict was being rehabilitated in our center. It is very likely that he called the SBU. Although, he had no conflicts with the staff, the person had problems with drugs. Maybe it was some kind of revenge”, – said Motsak. He also told reporters that the center will not be closed.