The National Police conducted 435 searches as part of the "Gentlemen-2026" special operation
The National Police has concluded the nationwide special operation “Gentlemen-2026,” during which law enforcement officers conducted 435 searches in 23 regions of Ukraine and Kyiv, dismantled 12 underground drug labs, and detained 34 people.
According to law enforcement officials, the operation lasted from June 22 to July 13 under the procedural supervision of the Office of the Prosecutor General, as well as regional and district prosecutor’s offices. Its goal was to identify illegal crops of narcotic plants and to halt the activities of individuals involved in the illegal trafficking of cannabis.
During the special operation, police seized 16,644 cannabis plants, 12,988 opium poppy plants, and over 170 kg of processed cannabis. Law enforcement officers also dismantled 12 underground laboratories where narcotic plants were grown in grow boxes and using hydroponic systems.
According to preliminary estimates, the seized plants could have been used to produce about 9.2 metric tons of drugs, or approximately 9 million doses, with a black-market value exceeding 60 million hryvnias.
In addition, during the searches, authorities seized weapons, explosives, vehicles, and cash—950,000 hryvnias, 12,000 euros, and 11,000 U.S. dollars.
Police reported that, pursuant to Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 34 individuals were detained, and another 74 suspects were charged under articles related to illegal drug trafficking and the cultivation of narcotic plants. After forensic examinations are completed, investigators will decide whether to notify other suspects of the charges against them.
This was reported by the National Police of Ukraine on July 15.
As a reminder, law enforcement officials uncovered a group of four residents of the Kirovohrad and Odesa regions who are suspected of embezzling over 3.2 million hryvnias from a Ukrainian bank.
In Volyn, the Economic Crimes Bureau uncovered tax evasion totaling nearly ₴28 million in the flower business.
