The president and co-owner of anexed Crimea’s largest gas station network has been detained on suspicion of large-scale fraud, the RBC news website reported Thursday, citing two individuals familiar with the matter.
Sergei Beym, who leads the fuel distribution company TPP, was taken into custody by law enforcement authorities earlier this week.
He previously headed the Ukrainian state oil and gas company Chernomorneftegaz from 2014-2015 and served as a deputy in the Crimean Supreme Council between 2006-2010.
One source told RBC that Beym is a suspect in a criminal case involving fraud on a particularly large scale, a charge that carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
Maria Pyatkova, head of the Avrora company which shares its address of registry with TPP, was also reportedly detained as part of the same case.
Founded in 1992 by Beym’s father, Gennady Beym, TPP operates the largest network of gas stations in Crimea, according to the company’s website.
The group owns oil depots, a fleet of fuel trucks and a port terminal for liquefied gas and petroleum products.
Its operations also extend to the hospitality and food service sectors, including a local hotel and a fast-food cafe chain.
In 2024, TPP Group reported revenue of 18 billion rubles ($225 million) and a net profit of 130 million rubles ($1.7 million).
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