Laboratories and underground warehouses: SBU dismantles criminal network of drug traffickers in five regions
The Security Service of Ukraine, together with the National Police, conducted a large-scale special operation, which resulted in the neutralization of an organized criminal group that had established a full-fledged network of drug production and distribution throughout the country.
This was reported by the press service of the department.
As a result of simultaneous searches conducted in five regions — Kyiv, Kherson, Odessa, Dnipropetrovsk, and Khmelnytskyi — law enforcement officers detained 12 members of a criminal organization.
According to the investigation, the suspects organized a full cycle of drug trafficking — from the production of psychotropic substances to their sale through dealer channels. To do this, they rented premises for drug laboratories and warehouses in various regions of the country.
The drugs were sold through their own Telegram stores, anonymous chat rooms, and fake accounts. Payment was made exclusively in cryptocurrency, which made it difficult to track financial flows.
The delivery was carried out by drug couriers using “bookmarks” or postal services.
What was seized during the searches:
over 30 kg of psychotropic substances
about 5,700 liters of precursors and chemicals
44 improvised explosive devices
mobile phones, bank cards and other evidence of illegal activity
All detainees have already been notified of suspicion under a number of articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, in particular:
Article 255 — creation or participation in a criminal group
Article 307 — illegal drug trafficking
Article 311 — illegal actions with precursors
Article 317 – organization of places for the manufacture of drugs
All of the defendants are currently in custody. If convicted in court, they face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
Important: according to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
As a reminder, police officers in the Kyiv region detained three members of a criminal group that was engaged in growing hemp and selling cannabis.
As reported, a worrying trend has been recorded in Ukraine – drug addiction has increased among adolescents aged 15–16 . Despite the decrease in alcohol consumption in this age category, there is an increase in the proportion of young people experimenting with narcotic substances, in particular “hard” ones.
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