The SBU blocked activities of an interregional drug group. The group members sold illegal drugs in Donetsk and Luhansk regions for further sale to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine via Russia.

Allegedly, the drug trafficking was organized by five residents of Donetsk and Cherkasy regions and the occupied Sorokyne. The drug traffickers manufactured and purchased narcotic substances from their accomplices. Thus, they used anonymous Telegram channels to search for the customers and sell via a private e-mail service and a network of “bookmarks”. During the month, the group produced and sold almost 2 kg of narcotic substances.

SBU officers documented three facts of methadone sales and smuggling of psychotropic drugs across the custom border of Ukraine.

During searches of the group members’ residences, law enforcement officers seized more than two kg of illegal drugs, 83 packages with methadone ready for sale, equipment for packing psychotropics totaling to almost UAH 2 m (USD 71,429).

The criminal proceedings were initiated for smuggling of narcotic and psychotropic substances, their analogues or precursors or counterfeit drugs and illegal manufacture, purchase, storage, transportation, shipment or sale of narcotics, psychotropic substances or their analogues. SBU investigators served the organizer and one of the group members a suspicion notice of committing the crime. The issue of choosing a type of detention is being resolved.

The pre-trial investigation is ongoing to bring to justice all involved individuals. Measures to expose illicit activities were conducted under the supervision of the Luhansk Region Prosecutor's Office.