Ukrainian and Polish law enforcement officers conducted a large-scale special operation that resulted in the liquidation of drug and psychotropic production sites. Drug laboratories in Ukraine and Poland were producing crystal methadone and synthetic cathinones: mephedrone and Alpha-PVP.
This was reported by the National Police and the Prosecutor General's Office.
Law enforcement officials said they had uncovered the largest laboratory of synthetic opioids in Poland. Methadone was produced there in crystalline form. They also uncovered eight multi-laboratories in Ukraine and Poland, where synthetic cathinones (mephedrone and Alpha-PVP) were produced together with methadone. The "finished" product was sold in the European Union and Ukraine through private logistics companies, hand-to-hand and masterclasses.
As part of the investigation, searches were conducted at 38 facilities where narcotic substances, precursors, chemicals and production equipment were produced or stored. The estimated value of the seized drugs at black market prices is over UAH 600 million. Seized synthetic opioid methadone in an amount equal to lethal doses for almost 4 million people.
Seized:
- 195 kg of methadone in crystalline form, which, according to medical estimates, is equal to 4 million lethal doses,
- 153 kg of Alpha-PVP,
- over 430 litres of reaction mixtures,
- 2 tonnes of precursors required for the production of synthetic opioids and cathinones
As part of the case, seven members of the cartel, led by the organiser, were detained. All of them are under arrest by court order.
Ukrainian law enforcement officers served five people with a notice of suspicion of illegal production, manufacture, acquisition, storage, transportation, shipment or sale of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues on a particularly large scale (Part 3 of Article 307 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). They face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.