In Lviv, law enforcement officers detained and remanded in custody a 32-year-old resident of Kharkiv who, according to the investigation, set up an online shop selling drugs and psychotropic substances. This was reported by the Lviv Region Police.
It was established that the man was temporarily living in Lviv and, in cooperation with “specialised” online shops, created his own online platform for selling drugs. He received large consignments of cannabis, amphetamine, mephedrone and PVP, after which he packed them into small doses.
According to law enforcement officers, the suspect handed the pre-packaged goods over to distributors in various regions of Ukraine, and also made “dead drops” in Lviv. At times, the man posed as a law enforcement officer.
The offender was exposed by operatives of the Drug Crime Department of the Lviv Region Police together with investigators from Police Department No.1 of Lviv District Police Department No.1, under the procedural supervision of the Halych District Prosecutor’s Office. On 26 May, he was detained under Article 615 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.
During authorised searches at his place of residence, police officers seized a packet containing a substance resembling cannabis, a grinding device, packaging materials, electronic scales and other physical evidence of possible unlawful activity. All seized items were sent for expert examination.
The detainee has been notified of suspicion of committing offences under Part 2 and Part 3 of Article 307 (illegal manufacture, possession and sale of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances), Part 1 of Article 309 (illegal possession of narcotics without intent to sell) and Part 5 of Article 27, Part 3 of Article 358 (aiding and abetting the forgery of documents and the use of forged documents) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
The maximum penalty under these articles is up to 12 years’ imprisonment with confiscation of property. By court decision, the suspect is being held in custody without the right to bail; the pre-trial investigation is ongoing.