Nine members of a drug syndicate are to stand trial in Transcarpathia
Police investigators have completed their pre-trial investigation and referred to court the case involving nine members of a criminal organization who had set up a large-scale operation to produce psychotropic substances.
This was reported by the National Police of Ukraine.
In an underground laboratory in Zakarpattia, the suspects produced up to 50 kg of drugs per month, which provided them with an income of over 15 million hryvnias at black market prices. The group’s activities were shut down by law enforcement in March 2025 during a large-scale special operation.
During 76 authorized searches, police seized a significant amount of illicit substances: over 3.4 kg of methamphetamine, 2.3 kg of mephedrone, 1.5 kg of cannabis, and a large batch of precursors. The total value of the seized property and drugs is estimated at 22 million hryvnias. The indictment is currently under review at the Uzhhorod City and District Court.
The case materials contain evidence of a clearly structured hierarchy within the organization, where each member was responsible for their own area of operation: from the procurement of raw materials to the logistics of finished products. The defendants are charged with establishing a criminal organization and the illegal production and distribution of narcotics on a particularly large scale. If found guilty, the defendants face lengthy prison terms and confiscation of property. The investigation also examined possible distribution channels for the products in other regions of the country.
In France, a court handed down sentences to two former Paris police officers who stole confiscated cocaine. One received five years in prison, the other four.
At Cologne/Bonn Airport, German customs officials discovered approximately 25 kilograms of ketamine hidden inside gold-painted garden gnome figurines. According to preliminary estimates, the street value of the seized drugs could reach around one million euros. Law enforcement officials are investigating the circumstances of the smuggling and identifying those involved in the illegal transport.
