Police Operation to Dismantle Drug Cartel in Ukraine
The National Police of Ukraine executed a large-scale operation to dismantle a criminal organization that utilized bank accounts of fictitious individuals to legitimize profits from drug trafficking. These criminals manufactured and distributed precursors for amphetamine on a large scale. The products were shipped via postal services or through a network of "stash spots". In this manner, they sustained 18 drug laboratories across six regions of Ukraine, producing over 60 kg of amphetamine monthly, generating profits of up to 18 million hryvnias.
This was reported by the press service of the Main Directorate of the National Police.
Law enforcement uncovered a criminal organization engaged in the distribution of precursors. The leader of the group ensured a continuous supply of raw materials for the production of amphetamine, while his subordinates packaged several kilograms of the banned substance daily in rented apartments, changing locations every two weeks. After that, precursors were sent to the drug laboratories by mail or through "stash spots", using disposable SIM cards that were destroyed immediately after use.
Additionally, law enforcement identified a separate group of criminals involved in laundering the proceeds in Kyiv. They sought individuals willing to provide their information for opening bank accounts in exchange for compensation, creating personal accounts in mobile applications where millions of hryvnias from the illegal sale of precursors flowed in. Consequently, the suspects recruited over a thousand fictitious individuals, from whose accounts more than 200 million hryvnias were withdrawn within a year to two deposit cryptocurrency wallets, which were then cashed out in Cyprus.
To dismantle the drug cartel, over 300 police officers were involved from various regions, acting with the support of special forces and the State Border Guard Service.
During the operation, more than one hundred searches were conducted across ten regions and the capital, during which elite vehicles, over 80 thousand dollars, 60 kg of cannabis, 7 kg of "a-PVP", 3.5 kg of amphetamine, 900 units of "MDMA", a batch of fictitious bank accounts and SIM cards, as well as other evidence of criminal activity were seized.
Investigators gathered sufficient evidence and announced suspicions against sixteen individuals involved in the drug cartel. Depending on their level of involvement, they could face charges under the following articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- Part 2 of Article 255 (Creation or participation in a criminal organization);
- Part 3 of Article 307 (Illegal production and distribution of narcotic substances);
- Part 3 of Article 311 (Production and distribution of precursors);
- Part 3 of Article 209 (Laundering of property obtained by criminal means).
The suspects face up to 12 years of imprisonment with asset confiscation.
