Ukrainian law enforcement authorities have dismantled an organized group of seven individuals involved in the illegal distribution of narcotics in Kyiv, the Kyiv region, and within the Kyiv detention center.
According to the National Police and the Office of the Prosecutor General, the drug trafficking operation was orchestrated by an inmate at the detention center, who enlisted the help of other prisoners and individuals on the outside. The scheme relied on participants receiving methadone through substitution therapy programs, which they then redistributed for illicit sale.
Authorities reported that over 560 narcotic pills were transferred to the detention facility. All seven members of the organized group have been charged, with three currently in custody.
The group operated systematically, generating substantial profits. Monthly sales in Kyiv and the surrounding area ranged from 300 to 800 methadone tablets, with each tablet fetching between 400 and 600 hryvnias on the black market.
Investigators noted the involvement of representatives from private medical centers, revealing that some individuals on substitution therapy received methadone from multiple facilities in violation of established protocols. This practice enabled them to accumulate significant quantities of the drug for further distribution.
Law enforcement documented numerous instances of drug sales and shipments, including deliveries to the detention center via postal services. In one instance, a group member concealed methadone tablets in household soap for shipping, while another attempt involved hiding the drug inside a beet.
Prosecutors, in collaboration with investigators and operational units, conducted 15 authorized searches at the residences and workplaces of the suspects. Seized items included methadone, dimedrol, sonnat, mobile phones, bank cards, handwritten notes, medical documentation, records of narcotic substances, prescription forms, computer equipment, and cash.
Investigations are ongoing to uncover all aspects of the criminal activities and to hold accountable any additional individuals involved in the drug supply chain to correctional facilities.
Ukrainian authorities have arrested seven individuals linked to a drug trafficking network operating in Kyiv and its vicinity. The group, which included inmates and individuals outside the detention center, was involved in the illegal distribution of methadone and other narcotics.