Police detail seven-month operation behind UAH 400M drug seizure

Preparations for the operational phase of the special operation Rubikon, which resulted in the seizure of illicit substances worth UAH 400 million, lasted nearly seven months.

This was announced by Dmytro Torhalo, Nead of the Department for Combating Drug-related Crime of the National Police, during a television broadcast, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

“The preparation for the practical phase of this operation took almost seven months. Throughout this period, the National Police of Ukraine maintained direct communication with colleagues in Moldova and Poland, under the coordination of Europol. Europol enabled us to respond quickly to various challenges that arose during the documentation process,” Torhalo said.

He noted that throughout this phase, the National Police also involved other agencies, including the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the State Customs Service of Ukraine, and others.

When asked whether further arrests are expected and whether there is a risk that part of the criminal network may have remained undocumented, Torhalo assured that the National Police continues to work on the case.

He said the National Police has a clear action plan.

“I will not disclose the details of these actions due to the secrecy of the investigation, but I can assure you that we are moving in the right direction and will not stop here,” the head of the department emphasized.

The operation Rubikon was carried out in Ukraine, Poland, and Moldova, resulting in the seizure of 27 million doses of narcotics.

Torhalo also expressed confidence that criminal groups would attempt to rebuild the smuggling channel used to supply drug precursors into Ukraine. “That is why we will prevent this,” he said.

As previously reported by Ukrinform, the large-scale police operation Rubikon delivered the most significant blow to the drug trade in recent years, with law enforcement seizing illicit substances worth UAH 400 million.