KYIV – Ukraine’s SBU state security service launched a series of raids on the country’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau as part of a sweeping investigation into suspected collusion with Russian spies.

The SBU alleged one of the top anti-corruption agency detectives, Ruslan Magamedrasulov, and another elite officer at the bureau were working as Russian moles. Both were detained.

In total, more than 70 searches were conducted on Monday. 

According to the SBU, Magamedrasulov helped his father, a Russian citizen, to conduct illegal industrial hemp trade with Russia. The SBU is also looking into Magamedrasulov’s alleged contacts with Russian spies and whether he passed secret information to them about planned corruption investigations. 

Magamedrasulov was allegedly in close contact with fugitive pro-Russian lawmaker Fedir Khrystenko, who is allegedly a suspected covert Russian spy in Ukraine, the SBU said. Khrystenko has “a significant influence” on the activities of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency, the SBU claimed in a statement on Monday.

NABU, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau, said the searches targeted at least 15 staff members, and were undertaken without a court warrant. “In most cases, the grounds for investigative actions are the alleged involvement of certain individuals in traffic accidents. However, some employees are being accused of possible connections with the aggressor state. These are unrelated matters,” NABU said in a statement on Monday.

“The risk of agents of influence from the aggressor state exists for any government body. However, this cannot justify halting the work of the entire institution,” NABU added.