In the Lviv region, an indictment has been sent to court against a 39-year-old Lviv resident and his 56-year-old acquaintance, who are accused of the illegal sale of narcotic drugs, including to a correctional colony. This was reported by the Halytskyi District Prosecutor’s Office of the city of Lviv.
According to the investigation, during June–July this year the accused set up a channel for supplying methadone to the State Institution “Katerynivska Correctional Colony (No. 46)”. The man from Lviv, who had previously been prosecuted for property offences and drug possession, was responsible for concealing and sending the prohibited substances.
To prevent colony staff from discovering the methadone, the man hid it inside biscuits with condensed milk and in packs of curd cheese. His accomplice, who is serving a sentence in the colony for theft, was to receive the drugs on the premises of the institution. However, during the inspection of parcels, the narcotic drugs were discovered by staff of the correctional facility.
In addition, since January this year, the Lviv resident, according to the investigation, had been systematically selling methadone within the Lviv region. He purchased part of the drug and obtained another part under a substitution maintenance therapy programme. To send the drugs, the accused used postal operators, hiding the tablets in parcels with clothing, or sent them on intercity buses disguised as ordinary parcels.
During searches at his place of residence in Lviv and in the house he was using in the Stryi district, law enforcement officers found almost 1.5 kg of cannabis in total and 117 cannabis plants. In July this year, according to the investigation, the unlawful activities of the accused were halted by law enforcement officers.
The Lviv resident is charged with the illegal acquisition, possession and dispatch for the purpose of sale, and sale of narcotic drugs, including to places of detention, committed repeatedly by a group of persons by prior conspiracy, as well as the illegal acquisition and possession of drugs without the intention of sale, including in large quantities, and the illegal cultivation of cannabis in quantities from ten to fifty and fifty or more plants (Part 2 of Art. 307, Parts 1, 2 of Art. 309, Parts 1, 2 of Art. 310 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). His accomplice, who is in prison, is accused of the illegal acquisition and sale of narcotic drugs to places of detention, committed repeatedly by a group of persons by prior conspiracy (Part 2 of Art. 307 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The pre-trial investigation in the proceedings was carried out by Lviv District Police Department No. 1 of the Main Department of the National Police in the Lviv region.
Pursuant to Art. 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and may not be subjected to criminal punishment until his or her guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a guilty verdict of the court.