The Security Service of Ukraine stopped the activities of a transnational criminal group, which was smuggling drastic substances for further manufacture and sale of anabolics.

Allegedly, the group included citizens of Ukraine and their foreign accomplices. The dealers ordered in East Asia mixtures containing methandienone and nandrolone, which are used for the synthesis of anabolic steroids. To avoid exposure, the “stuff" was delivered by air through international postal services under the guise of cosmetics, household chemicals and food.

Upon arrival at Boryspil International Airport, the cargo was transported to warehouses and an underground laboratory in Brovary city, Kyiv Region. The smugglers sold the synthesized anabolic steroids as products of well-known brands in Ukraine and supplied them to customers from Western Europe.

During ten searches of the suspects’ residences and offices, warehouses and underground production in Brovary, Mariupol, Kryvyi Rih, Odessa and the Chornomorsk cities, the SBU investigators, operatives and prosecutors seized almost 2 tons of finished products, packaging and labels.

Also, computer equipment, flash drives, special equipment for the production of illegal products, draft records, documentation and more than USD 70,000 were seized.

The investigation is ongoing upon the fact of smuggling (Part 2 of Art. 201) and illegal production, making, purchasing, transportation, sending, storage for selling purposes or sale of poisonous or drastic substances (Part 4 of Art. 321 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). As of now, all the persons involved in the illegal activity are being identified.

The operation was conducted under the supervision of the Prosecutor's Office of Dnipropetrovsk region.