Employees of the State Customs Service, Lviv Customs, and the National Police of Ukraine conducted the anti-drug special operation ‘Rubicon’.
A cross-border smuggling channel of precursors from Poland to Ukraine was blocked, which allowed the shutdown of 34 drug laboratories. These labs were generating more than 700 kg of drugs such as alpha-PVP, amphetamine, methamphetamine, and mephedrone monthly.
Customs officers discovered a batch of precursors during the inspection of international mail shipments. Subsequent movements of substances were controlled, which made it possible to trace the supply chain. Members of groups were producing psychotropics in Poland and supplying raw materials to Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia.
As a result, 220 kg of alpha-PVP, 156 kg of amphetamine, 17.6 kg of mephedrone, 7 kg of methamphetamine, 47 kg of cannabis, 7 thousand MDMA pills, as well as over 20 tons of precursors were seized. The total volume of substances seized exceeds 27 million doses, valued at approximately 400 million hryvnias on the black market.
Currently, 123 individuals have been charged under part 2 of Article 305 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The suspects face up to twelve years in prison with confiscation of property.