The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia opened another transnational crime and started criminal prosecution against 5 citizens of foreign countries and 2 citizens of Georgia on charges of fraud committed by an organized group.

“The investigation conducted by the General Prosecutor’s Office established that the defendants created an organized criminal group in order to fraudulently acquire a large amount of money belonging to persons living abroad.

Members of the criminal group established communication with citizens of foreign countries by using fake pages registered in social networks, and after gaining their trust, fraudulently transferred funds to the victims" bank accounts on various false and fabricated grounds.

The defendants contacted, among them, a citizen of Netherlands through social networks, who transferred EUR 128,424 to the bank accounts of trusted persons in Georgia, which they unlawfully seized.

The members of the criminal group were charged under the 3rd and 4th parts of Article 180 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (fraud, for the purpose of unlawful appropriation, in a large amount, possession of another"s property by deception, committed by an organized group), which is punishable by 7 to 10 years provides imprisonment.

The fight against transnational crime is a priority direction of the Prosecutor’s Office. The case continues to be investigated in order to identify and expose other individuals or legal entities involved in the crime”, - reads the statement of the agency.