The National Police have uncovered a link between U420 and Khimprom
The leadership of the National Police of Ukraine reported on the dismantling of one of the country’s most powerful criminal organizations—the “Khimprom” gang.
For years, the criminal group had built an extensive network specializing in drug trafficking, contract killings, and international fraud.
During a briefing, National Police Chief Ivan Vyhovskyi noted that the organization had a clear hierarchy and operated simultaneously in several criminal spheres.
A Russian citizen nicknamed “The Mexican,” who has been on the international wanted list since 2019, remotely managed the operations from abroad.
The gang members showed particular cruelty toward those who tried to interfere with their business. Law enforcement documented over 30 incidents of violent crimes, including threats and physical assaults.
“500,000 dollars if you doused a woman with acid, doused her well. 250,000 each. Well, one at a time is fine, in principle,” according to intercepted recordings of the suspects’ conversations.
In addition to drug trafficking, “Khimprom” established a network of fraudulent call centers that defrauded European Union residents out of approximately 50 million hryvnias.
The main victims of the scheme were citizens of the Czech Republic, Romania, and Slovakia, and monthly profits from this operation alone reached nearly $1.8 million.
One of the group’s most profitable projects was the “U-420” chain of stores, through which synthetic cannabinoids were sold disguised as candies and gummy bears.
The criminals exploited loopholes in the law until February 2026, when restrictions on the circulation of these substances took effect at the initiative of the police.
Law enforcement is conducting large-scale searches at the U420 store chain
Searches have begun at Kyivavtodor over possible embezzlement of budget funds
Police are conducting large-scale searches in hospitals across Ukraine
