The SBU prevented smuggling of a large batch of heroin to the EU countries.

As a result of a special operation, the SBU documented the illegal activities of a transnational organized criminal group consisting of the Turkish citizens.

In particular, the suspects smuggled heroin to Ukraine on a ship that arrived at the Odesa Commercial Sea Port in December 2020. The narcotics were hidden in a food container.

SBU officers decided to monitor the supply of heroin in order to expose and document the unlawful activities of all members of the criminal group.

As a result, the SBU operatives detained three foreigners in the city of Lviv while packing narcotics in rented warehouses, in accordance with the Art. 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. Allegedly, the drug traffickers planned to smuggle heroin to the EU under the guise of diplomatic cargo. On the same day, the SBU detained the organizer of the criminal group, a citizen of Turkey, in the regional center.

During the searches, the law enforcement officers found 1,035 kilos of the substance prepared for shipment. The rapid drug tests showed that it was heroin. The “black market” cost of the seized narcotics tops UAH 2,3 billion (USD 80,766,770). Also, the SBU officers are currently conducting searches of the smugglers’ temporary homes.

The criminal proceedings were initiated upon the fact of smuggling of narcotic and psychotropic drugs, its analogues or precursors. The investigation is ongoing to identify and prosecute all those involved in the illegal activity. The issue of serving the detainees suspicion notices is being resolved.

The operation was conducted by the Security Service of Ukraine with the assistance of the State Customs Service of Ukraine under the supervision of the Lviv Region Prosecutor's Office.