Disguised as dietary supplements and distributed by mail: a large-scale scheme for smuggling and selling kratom exposed in Ukraine
Kyiv • UNN
Law enforcement officers exposed a criminal organization that for almost a year smuggled kratom from the Czech Republic and sold it throughout Ukraine, including to military personnel. During the special operation, over 500 kg of drugs worth more than UAH 5 million were seized, and 6 people were detained.
In Ukraine, the activities of a criminal organization that established the smuggling and sale of the prohibited narcotic substance kratom have been exposed. The scheme operated for almost a year and covered the entire country. As reported by the Prosecutor General's Office, law enforcement officers conducted a large-scale special operation and seized more than 500 kilograms of narcotic substances, UNN reports.
Details
According to the investigation, the narcotic substance was smuggled from a European Union country - the Czech Republic, after which its systematic sale was organized on the territory of Ukraine.
It was established that since April 2024, members of the criminal organization have established the illegal circulation of kratom through postal shipments throughout the state. For conspiracy purposes, the prohibited substance was sold under the guise of biologically active additives, using the logistics company LLC "Nova Poshta".
During the documentation of illegal activities, facts of the sale of narcotic substances to servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were also established.
To expose the criminal activity, law enforcement officers conducted a series of operational measures, including controlled purchases.
On January 26, 2026, a large-scale special operation took place - more than 20 searches were conducted simultaneously in the city of Kyiv, Kyiv, Zakarpattia, Zaporizhzhia, Lviv, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. Searches were conducted in the premises of the involved persons, in the premises where drugs were stored and packaged, as well as in vehicles.
The result of the special operation is more than 500 kilograms of narcotic substances seized from illegal circulation. The estimated wholesale value of the seized goods is more than 5 million hryvnias. Money, bank cards, and packaging equipment were also seized.
Currently, 6 people have been detained in accordance with Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. They have been notified of suspicion of committing criminal offenses under Part 2 of Article 255, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 3 of Article 307, Part 4 of Article 28, Part 3 of Article 305 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Six members of the criminal organization were remanded in custody without bail.
Recall
In Ternopil, for the first time in Ukraine, the fact of selling the narcotic substance "kratom" was documented.
In October 2025, under the procedural guidance of the Ternopil Regional Prosecutor's Office, an organized group of 29 people, which had established an extensive network for the sale of this substance throughout Ukraine, was stopped.
"Kratom" is the leaves of the tropical plant Mitragyna speciosa, common in Southeast Asia. Its active substance, mitragynine, has an effect 10 times stronger than morphine. In small doses, it acts as a stimulant; in large doses, it causes addiction. By CMU Resolution No. 1306 of November 15, 2024, "kratom" and "mitragynine" were added to the list of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and precursors.