Five drug labs working for Middle Eastern and EU traffickers are neutralized in Ukraine

Five drug labs working for Middle Eastern and EU traffickers are neutralized in Ukraine

Kyiv  •  UNN

January 19 2024, 10:42 AM  •  24487 views

The SBU and the National Police exposed a criminal organization that manufactured and sold large batches of drugs for distribution in the EU and the Middle East.

The Security Service and the National Police have prevented large-scale smuggling of hard drugs and psychotropics to the European Union and the Middle East. This was reported by the SBU press service, UNN reports.

Details 

During the special operation, jointly with the Department for Combating Drug Crimes in Kyiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Cherkasy and Sumy regions, the SBU neutralized a criminal organization that manufactured and sold industrial volumes of amphetamine, α-PVP, mephedrone and cannabis.

As a result of simultaneous operational actions, 5 drug laboratories were liquidated and 19 members of the group were detained.

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During the operation, three gang organizers were detained red-handed while trying to send a batch of α-PVP to foreign accomplices.

During almost 90 searches at the places of manufacture, storage and sale of drugs and psychotropics, as well as in the residences and cars of the defendants, among other things, the SBU found:

  • almost 200 kg of narcotic substances, namely α-PVP, mephedrone, amphetamine and cannabis, as well as precursors;
  • equipment for the manufacture and packaging of "goods";
  • draft records with data on drug trafficking and clients;
  • "revenue" of more than UAH 2 million in the equivalent

The detainees were served a notice of suspicion under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:

  • Art. 255, paras. 1, 2 Art. 255 (creation, leadership of a criminal community or criminal organization, as well as participation in it);
  • ч. 3 of Art. 307 (illegal production, manufacture, acquisition, storage, transportation, shipment or sale of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues);
  • ч. 2 of Art. 317 (organization or maintenance of places for illegal use, production or manufacture of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues).

It is noted that currently 16 members of the criminal organization are in custody. Three more were chosen a preventive measure in the form of detention with the right to be released on bail.

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Comprehensive measures are underway to bring to justice all persons involved in drug trafficking.

Addendum

In addition to the prohibited substances, the law enforcement seized a Kalashnikov rifle, a sniper rifle with a silencer, F-1 and RGO combat grenades, and over 1,500 rounds of ammunition for small arms.

Investigators found out that the defendants produced more than 80 kg of drugs and psychotropics worth more than UAH 40 million per month.

The group members sold the finished "goods" through two channels: the first was targeted at customers from different regions of Ukraine, and the other worked for foreign drug dealers.

Thanks to the special operation, the SBU managed to liquidate drug laboratories and prevent the creation of an international channel for smuggling prohibited substances.

Recall

Since the beginning of the full-scale war , the SBU has neutralized more than 60 criminal groupsthat planned to turn Ukraine into a drug transit country to the EU. Nearly UAH 2 billion worth of drugs were seized from the criminals.