Yuriy Lutsenko stated that the Khimprom drug syndicate had been revived under the protection of law enforcement agencies
Former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Yuriy Lutsenko stated that the “Khimprom” drug syndicate, which was exposed in 2018, had been completely dismantled during his tenure, and its leaders were in custody, but after the change in leadership at the Prosecutor General’s Office, the suspects were released.
According to him, during the first special operation, law enforcement officers detained about 1,000 members and 20 organizers, seizing 10 million USD in cash, with courts setting bail for the group’s top leaders at 100–300 million UAH (approximately 2.42–7.26 million USD) or ordering their detention without the possibility of bail.
The former official noted that after his resignation, the preventive measures against those detained were simply not extended, and the sole witness was sent to a pretrial detention center. Commenting on the ongoing investigation by the NABU and the SAP into the “Carthage” case, Lutsenko emphasized that the cartel’s activities had resumed and were receiving systematic “protection” at the highest levels within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service of Ukraine’s Department for the Protection of National Statehood, and the Office of the Prosecutor General.
He spoke about this during an interview with journalist Iryna Romaliyska.
Ihor Klymenko, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council and former head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, denied during a closed-door meeting with journalists any claims of bribery offers or pressure exerted on him by individuals implicated in NABU’s large-scale special operation “Carthage.”
Andriy Nebitov, Deputy Head of the National Police of Ukraine and Chief of the Criminal Police, issued a statement following the release of audio recordings in which individuals implicated in the “Carthage” case discussed possible agreements with the leadership of the National Police. The official emphasized that the mere mention of his name in the suspects’ conversations does not constitute evidence of involvement in criminal activity. In one of the released audio recordings, dated June 24, 2026, a suspect named Akim (SBU General Duku) tells his interlocutor about an alleged agreement reached with a representative of the National Police leadership. The surname of the official mentioned in the conversation begins with “Ne,” which matches the first letters of Andriy Nebitov’s surname.
