Operative employees of the Lviv border detachment together with employees of the UBN in the Lviv region, the DBN of the NP of Ukraine, the DBN of the NP of Ukraine, the OV of the UBC and the PMP of the Lviv Customs, investigators of the SV LRUP No. 1 of the GUNP in the Lviv region in cooperation with the operative units of the National Police, under the procedural guidance of the Galician District Prosecutor’s Office of the city A criminal group was exposed in Lviv, which established a smuggling channel for the supply of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in particularly large quantities from EU countries.
The law enforcement officers established that the 28-year-old resident of Kyiv purchased narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances abroad. In the future, the perpetrator delivered “parcels” by regular bus to Ukraine, disguising psychotropic drugs as food products. After receiving the goods, her accomplice, a 25-year-old man from Lviv, organized the distribution of drugs through the Telegram channel. The man also sold psychotropic drugs in wholesale batches, in a hidden form, with the help of delivery services on the territory of Ukraine.
Payment for psychotropic substances was carried out by a cashless method using cryptocurrencies.
In the course of authorized searches of the perpetrators’ residences, law enforcement officers discovered and seized 12,970 tablets of various colors, outwardly similar to the psychotropic substance “MDMA”, a crystal-like substance weighing about 1,950 grams, the psychotropic substance “ketamine” with a total weight of about 580 grams, 3,000 brands of psychotropic substance “LSD”, as well as other items indicating involvement in illegal activities.
The value of the seized at black market prices is about 16 million hryvnias.
The extras in the proceedings were detained in accordance with Art. 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code and suspicions were announced. The court chose a preventive measure for the perpetrators in the form of detention without bail.
Currently, a pre-trial investigation is underway in criminal proceedings opened under Part 3 of Art. 305 of the Criminal Code (Smuggling of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogues or precursors or falsified medicinal products) and part 3 of Art. 307 of the Criminal Code (Illegal production, manufacture, acquisition, storage, transportation, forwarding or sale of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues). Sanctions of the articles provide punishment – deprivation of liberty for a term of ten to twelve years with confiscation of property and six to ten years with confiscation of property. Investigations are ongoing.