Criminal group that manufactured psychotropic substances with monthly "turnover" of over 70 million hryvnias has been neutralised. VIDEO+PHOTOS

The Security Service and National Police have neutralised a criminal group that had established a channel for smuggling heavy psychotropic drugs into Ukraine. As a result of joint operations in Poltava, the organiser and four of his accomplices were detained.

This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to the SSU press centre.

Details

The investigation established that the suspects were smuggling foreign precursors into our country for the manufacture of a particularly dangerous psychotropic substance, α-PVP. According to the case file, the monthly turnover of the illegal business amounted to over 70 million hryvnias.

To smuggle the "raw materials," the perpetrators hid them among consumer goods. The dealers then transported the "products" to their own drug laboratory, which they had set up in a rented house in the Poltava district.

The suspects sold the finished psychotropic drugs in various regions of Ukraine through a network of dealers who delivered them to customers "hand to hand" or through "stashes."

According to law enforcement officials, the organiser of the group is a 36-year-old resident of Poltava. He involved his local acquaintances in the "business".

During searches, more than 11 kilograms of ready-to-sell "α-PVP", almost 6,000 litres of precursors, cocaine and equipment for the manufacture of psychotropic substances, as well as a car for their transportation, were seized from them.

In addition, mobile phones, computer equipment, bank cards, and rough notes with evidence of crimes were found on the detainees.

The suspects have been notified of their status as suspects in connection with crimes committed under several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

legalisation (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means;
smuggling of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogues or precursors, or counterfeit medicines;
use of funds obtained from the illegal circulation of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogues, precursors, poisonous or potent substances or poisonous or potent medicines;
illegal production, manufacture, acquisition, storage, transportation, transfer or sale of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues;
illegal production, manufacture, acquisition, storage, transportation or transfer of precursors;
organising or maintaining places for the illegal use, production or manufacture of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues, committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy.

The perpetrators are in custody without the right to bail.