60 criminal groups that planned to turn Ukraine into a transit point for drugs to the EU

Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the SBU has neutralized more than 60 criminal groups that planned to turn Ukraine into a transit point for drugs to the EU

During the searches, 23 tons of precursors (substances for the production of drugs) and almost 150 kg of ready-made psychotropic drugs were seized from the perpetrators.

In general, as a result of multi-stage implementations of the Security Service during this time:
▪️ 89 drug dealers were detained and notified of suspicion;
▪️ ⁠34 organizers and active members of drug gangs received real terms of imprisonment.

Thus, thanks to the prompt response of the Security Service, it was possible to prevent the creation of cross-border channels of "uninterrupted" supplies of prohibited substances to the EU.

For example, in October 2023, the SBU, together with law enforcement agencies of Romania, eliminated drug smuggling from Iran to European countries.

As a result of comprehensive measures in Odesa, members of an international group who tried to smuggle almost 200 kg of Iranian heroin to the European Union under the guise of exporting dates were detained.

In addition, at the end of August this year, the SBU detained four drug dealers who brought 2 tons of prohibited substances from East Asia to Ukraine.

These were precursors for the production of particularly dangerous psychotropic substances - PVP and mephedrone, which the perpetrators transported under the guise of construction mixtures. According to available data, in the future, those involved planned to transport the "goods" to the EU for sale through their own drug dealers.

Based on the revealed facts, comprehensive measures are being taken to identify all persons involved in the international drug trade and bring them to justice.

The SBU carried out complex actions together with the prosecutor's office.