In Ukraine, after a peak increase in 2023, the number of suspects in drug-related crimes is gradually decreasing, but the scale remains significant. In the first two months of 2026 alone, more than 2,500 people were notified of suspicion for illicit drug trafficking. This was reported to UNN journalist by the National Police of Ukraine and the Office of the Prosecutor General in response to inquiries.
Details
According to the National Police's response, the number of individuals notified of suspicion of committing criminal offenses in the sphere of illicit drug trafficking was: 14,766 in 2022; 20,344 in 2023; 20,097 in 2024; 17,787 in 2025; and 2,584 in January and February 2026.
The number of individuals notified of suspicion under Article 307 of the Criminal Code (Illegal production, manufacture, acquisition, storage, transportation, shipment, or sale of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, or their analogues) was:
- in 2022 - 2584;
- in 2023 - 3315;
- in 2024 - 3537;
- in 2025 - 3508;
- in January and February 2026 - 705.
The National Police also reported that in 2025, the largest number of organized groups and criminal organizations involved in illicit drug trafficking were identified in the city of Kyiv (14), Dnipropetrovsk (12), and Lviv regions (11).
At the same time, the Office of the Prosecutor General reported that the number of individuals notified of suspicion in criminal offenses in the sphere of trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogues or precursors, and other criminal offenses against public health (Chapter XIII of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) was:
- January - December 2022 - 15,321;
- January - December 2023 - 21,636;
- January - December 2024 - 21,499;
- January - December 2025 - 18,994;
- January - February 2026 - 2,564.
Also, the number of individuals notified of suspicion under Article 307 of the Criminal Code was:
- January - December 2022 - 2505;
- January - December 2023 - 3379;
- January - December 2024 - 3466;
- January - December 2025 - 3311;
- January - February 2026 - 638.
In addition, the number of individuals who committed criminal offenses in the sphere of trafficking of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogues or precursors, but have not yet received suspicion, was:
- January - December 2022 - 15023;
- January - December 2023 - 21294;
- January - December 2024 - 21411;
- January - December 2025 - 19151;
- January - February 2026 - 2621.
The number of individuals who committed criminal offenses under Article 307, but have not yet received suspicion, according to the OGP, was:
- January - December 2022 - 2351;
- January - December 2023 - 3034;
- January - December 2024 - 3291;
- January - December 2025 - 3348;
- January - February 2026 - 600.