Video: A man who ran drug labs in Ukraine and the EU was arrested in Bulgaria
The Security Service of Ukraine, in cooperation with Bulgarian law enforcement agencies and the National Police, has uncovered an international smuggling ring dealing in psychotropic substances. A man suspected of organizing the operations of 14 drug laboratories in Ukraine and European Union countries was detained in Bulgaria.
During an international special operation in Bulgaria, the drug trafficking ringleader was detained. According to the investigation, he coordinated the operations of 14 clandestine laboratories that produced alpha-PVP, mephedrone, amphetamine, and precursors in Ukraine and the EU.
The SBU notes that the scheme was uncovered after a resident of the Kyiv region with pro-Russian views came to the attention of counterintelligence. During the investigation, law enforcement officials established his involvement in the smuggling of precursors and the operation of a network of drug laboratories.
According to the security service, the capacity of just one underground production facility allowed for the monthly production of over 50 kg of particularly dangerous psychotropic substances worth more than 2 million hryvnias. The investigation also revealed that, while staying in one of Bulgaria’s resort towns, the organizer recruited at least 30 accomplices, whom he distributed among EU countries and Ukraine.
To smuggle the precursors, according to the SBU, the group’s members used private carriers and drivers from logistics companies. The dangerous substances were disguised as automotive chemicals and shipped as commercial cargo. After delivery to Ukraine, the precursors were used to produce psychotropic substances, which were then sold through a network of dealers. A similar scheme was used for shipments to European Union countries.
In addition to the ringleader, law enforcement officers detained six other members of the group in the Kyiv and Chernivtsi regions during the special operation. During the searches, nearly 150 kg of precursors, equipment for the manufacture and packaging of psychotropic substances, and cell phones containing evidence of illegal activity were seized.
The suspects have already been notified of charges under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, specifically regarding the smuggling of precursors and the illegal production and distribution of psychotropic substances. In addition, law enforcement officials plan to charge them with establishing and participating in a criminal organization.
The issue of extraditing the drug trafficking ringleader to Ukraine is currently being resolved. If found guilty, he and his accomplices face up to 13 years in prison with confiscation of property, according to the SBU.
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