An underground operation producing candies laced with psychotropic substances and cannabis-infused e-liquids was uncovered in Dnipro

In Dnipro, law enforcement officers apprehended seven suspects in the manufacture and distribution of narcotics and psychotropic substances. According to the investigation, the group members added cannabinoids to chocolate and jelly candies and mixed cannabis extract with e-cigarette liquids. The finished products were sold via Telegram channels, mail, and the group’s own couriers.

The group’s activities were shut down under the procedural supervision of the Livoberezhna District Prosecutor’s Office in Dnipro.

According to the investigation, the organizer of the scheme was a 32-year-old resident of Dnipro. To manufacture the products, he rented an apartment and equipped it with everything necessary. The man also established a supply chain for wholesale shipments of narcotics and psychotropic substances.

He recruited a friend to join his so-called business. Together, they sought out other members for the group.

In the rented apartment, the suspects manufactured products containing narcotic substances. Specifically, they mixed cannabis extract with e-cigarette liquids and added cannabinoids to chocolate and jelly candies.

They organized sales through Telegram channels and by mail. In addition, the group’s own couriers delivered the finished products to buyers.

Law enforcement officers conducted 12 searches, during which they seized a significant amount of products containing narcotic substances, equipment, and cash.

Among the items seized were:

• more than 3,000 candies containing narcotic substances;
• more than 4,000 containers of liquid containing narcotics;
• equipment for manufacturing and packaging products;
• electronic scales;
• cell phones and computer equipment;
• bank cards and SIM cards;
• draft notes;
• cash in various currencies totaling nearly 1.8 million hryvnias.

Seven members of the group were notified of their status as suspects under Part 2 of Article 307 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which pertains to the illegal production, manufacture, acquisition, storage, transportation, shipment, or sale of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances under the circumstances provided for in this article.

Four suspects—the organizer, a co-organizer, and two couriers—were detained in accordance with Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.

The issue of imposing pretrial detention on the suspects is currently being decided.

At the same time, in accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the law and by a court conviction.

This was reported by the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor’s Office. 

Earlier in Kyiv, law enforcement officers detained a 34-year-old man suspected of growing and selling cannabis. According to preliminary investigation data, his illegal activities brought him approximately 100,000 hryvnias in profit each month. The drug dealer was apprehended as part of the nationwide special operation “Gentlemen.”

In the village of Velykyi Berezny in Zakarpattia, a man and his partner are suspected of systematically selling cannabis to local residents. According to the investigation, the drugs were sold directly from their own home. In August and September alone, law enforcement documented the sale of more than 20 batches of the narcotic substance.