Drug syndicate was exposed in Ukraine - largest cocaine shipment seized since the beginning of the full-scale war
Kyiv • UNN
The SBU dismantled an international drug smuggling channel, arresting 10 participants. The value of the seized cocaine and psychotropic substances is approximately UAH 70 million.
Law enforcement officers exposed an international drug syndicate and seized the largest cocaine shipment since the beginning of the full-scale war, worth approximately UAH 70 million, the Security Service of Ukraine reported on Wednesday, UNN writes.
Details
According to the Security Service of Ukraine, the case concerns a criminal group that organized an international channel for smuggling hard drugs from southern Europe to Ukraine. The monthly "income" from the illegal business amounted to UAH 15–20 million. The group was neutralized, the Security Service of Ukraine noted.
As part of a special operation in the Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Lviv regions, 10 members of the drug syndicate were detained simultaneously. They were involved in selling wholesale consignments of cocaine, ecstasy, and other psychotropic substances brought in from abroad
According to the case files, "the group's coordinator in Ukraine turned out to be a resident of the capital. He searched for 'workers' on specialized forums who, for monetary compensation, sold drugs in various regions of Ukraine."
As the Security Service of Ukraine reported, "during the first series of searches, approximately 2 kg of cocaine, as well as other prohibited substances, were seized from the suspects; later, more than 8 kg of cocaine and other potent substances were found in the criminals' caches." "The total value of the seized items was approximately UAH 70 million," the special service stated.
The ten detainees have now been notified that they are suspected under Part 3 of Article 307 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — the illegal production, manufacture, acquisition, possession, transportation, shipment, or sale of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, or their analogues, committed by an organized group
The suspects are in custody. They face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
"In addition, the involvement of three Ukrainian citizens residing in the Kingdom of Spain in organizing the aforementioned drug trafficking channel has been documented. The issue of their extradition to Ukraine is currently being resolved," the statement said.
The comprehensive measures were carried out under the procedural guidance of the Dnipro District Prosecutor's Office of Kyiv.