SSU, Polish law enforcement dismantle international drug syndicate
According to Ukrinform, the SSU reported this in an official statement.
As a result of a special joint operation in both countries, 10 members of the international drug syndicate were detained. They had been transporting wholesale batches of pseudoephedrine to Zaporizhzhia.
According to available data, the group’s monthly profit exceeded $100,000.
To conceal the smuggling, the perpetrators hid pseudoephedrine in containers labeled as baby food and pet supplies. These disguised packages were then delivered to associates in Ukraine via passenger buses and postal services.
Each package weighed approximately 5 kilograms, which is equivalent to 50,000 pills of banned drugs containing pseudoephedrine as a precursor.
Once received in Ukraine, part of the shipment was distributed through a dealer network, while the rest was sent to a drug lab in Dnipropetrovsk region, where amphetamine was produced.
The SSU officers, together with Polish law enforcement, documented the entire trafficking operation, identified all involved individuals, and conducted simultaneous arrests during the special operation.
Six individuals were detained in the EU countries. Four others, including the ringleader, were apprehended in Zaporizhzhia and Kryvyi Rih.
According to the investigation, the drug trafficking ring was organized by two brothers from Zaporizhzhia. One of them moved to the EU in early 2022 and established the foreign wing of the network responsible for precursor smuggling. The other stayed in Ukraine to coordinate distribution and sales.
Searches in both Ukraine and the EU uncovered prepared precursors, produced psychotropics, and equipment for synthesizing drugs.
The detained suspects in Ukraine have been formally charged under the articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The suspects are currently in custody. They face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
Authorities are also considering additional charges for creating and participating in a criminal organization.
The suspects detained abroad are being held accountable according to the EU laws.
The special operation was carried out by the SSU personnel in Zaporizhzhia region, in coordination with the SSU’s Main Investigation Department and the regional prosecutor’s office.
As Ukrinform earlier reported, police in Dnipropetrovsk region uncovered a large-scale criminal network producing up to 15 kg of amphetamine and Alpha-PVP per month, generating up to 12 million UAH in monthly profits.
