On September 10, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. Internal affairs bodies of the Vitebsk region are identifying victims of a fraudster who promised German cars and employment in Germany, the ninth department (for the Vitebsk region) of the Main Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (GUBOPiK) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus informed a BELTA correspondent today. The department's officers are providing operational support for a criminal case initiated against 32-year-old Alexander Shako, a resident of Polotsk with multiple convictions for fraud. During the investigation, it was established that Shako, posing as the director of CJPC "Alex-Divine", between October 2009 and June 2010, offered services for assistance in purchasing cars from Germany, employment as a driver in Germany, and organisation of try-outs for young footballers in German football clubs. He received money from citizens residing in the Vitebsk, Brest, Gomel, Grodno regions and Minsk, totalling Br300 million. The fraudster's methods were not original. He posted advertisements for car purchase and delivery services on a popular website for car enthusiasts. Those who responded to the advertisement paid an advance payment of €1.8 thousand or $2.5 thousand. After receiving the deposit from buyers, the company director soon stopped answering phone calls and disappeared. For potential employment in Germany, the fraudster charged €500-600. He received the same amount from the parents of young footballers for the opportunity to travel to Germany and participate in try-outs for German clubs. Notably, the director of "Alex-Divine" did contact German teams, and they sent invitations to aspiring footballers to his address for visa applications to Germany. By showing these invitations to parents, the fraudster took money from them and vanished without a trace. A criminal case against citizen Shako has been initiated under parts 2, 3, 4 of Article 209 "Fraud" of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, which provides for up to 10 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property. Currently, 28 people who were defrauded have contacted the internal affairs bodies. However, the investigation believes there are more victims and therefore urges them to contact their local internal affairs departments or call the following number in Vitebsk: 8-0212-36-50-44. -0-

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