Security and fiscal officers beat representatives of Vietnamese diaspora in Odesa

People from Southeast Asia currently residing in Odesa, Ukraine, were beaten during the special operation implemented by the Prosecutor General’s Office officers with the support of the Fiscal Service officials. The dwellers of the Lotus residential complex insist that security officers robbed 20 apartments.

Dmytro Zhogov, a journalist of Dumskaya.net local media outlet, writes about the events. He eyewitnessed the confrontation between the security forces and members of the Vietnamese diaspora who live in the Lotus residential complex.

“They were gassing people, who stood on their way. They were beating people, both senior and young, with rods. They were moving slowly from the gate, clearing the place to leave. The cars, which prevented them from leaving, were smashed,” he writes.

The journalist claims that the officers were carrying away the belongings seized from the apartments.

“The Vietnamese were trying to obstruct removing of the ‘seized’ things but were immediately beaten. People were chasing the officers, throwing stones at them. Cars without number plates were escorted by police cars….” the media outlet writes.

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Giving commentaries to Pershy Dilovyi (First Business) TV channel, the Vietnamese assured that the security forces had been searching every apartment, even though they had had warrants for several apartments only where the criminals allegedly stayed. The security forces officers did not draw up any procedural documents during the search.

Valentyna Kononiuk, who introduced herself as the attorney of the Vietnamese community, claims that the people were deprived of documents on apartments, residence permits, the citizens of Ukraine were deprived of passports and birth certificate of Ukrainian children.

“It is unclear where the documents are now. The attorneys were not allowed to examine the case files. There is no information. We do not even know how to appeal,” she said, suggesting that now the law enforcers will blackmail the people, threatening with deportation.

“They took away the bag with money. I told them: ‘Write it in the record!’ But they pushed me on the bed and took away two computers,” one of the residents is quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, the General Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine reports on the successful raid by special forces. The agency reports that “a criminal group specialized in committing a wide range of criminal activities.”

The activities include illegal financial transactions and currency exchange, counterfeiting, smuggling of excise goods (alcohol and cigarettes), delicious food (caviar), illegal trafficking in firearms and drugs, forgery of official documents.

The Prosecutor General’s Office reports that the officers seized “national and foreign currency, blanks for counterfeit banknotes worth $100 and European Union currency, equipment for money, banknote detectors, as well as weapons, fake passports and drugs.”

At the same time it is noted that a complex of measures to establish the participants of this group and collect the evidence of their guilt are being taken now.

Dumskaya.net reports, citing sources, that the Foreign Ministry of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam summoned Ukrainian ambassador in the city of Hanoi on May 24 and handed him a protest note. The media outlet notes that the incident caused deep concern of other national communities.