In the JFO area, SBU exposed drug laboratories that cultivated and processed elite breeds of marijuana.

Allegedly, two residents of Luhansk region, a former fighter of a volunteer battalion and a criminal, organized drug dealing. They arranged the underground plantations in their premises located in Pryvillia and Zolote villages. The dealers were growing the plants in greenhouses using hydroponics; processed and packaged it for customers from Donetsk, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions. They searched customers via the Internet and delivered the “goods” by mail or couriers.

Both offenders were detained by law-enforcement officers in drug laboratories during preparation of “goods” for sale.

While the searches at underground greenhouses, SBU officers seized the equipment for growing cannabis, more than a thousand seedlings of drug-containing plants, 10 kilos of seed, 150 cannabis bushes, and prepared for sale. The estimated “black market” price of the seized drugs is about UAH 4.5 million (USD 160,700).

The offenders received a notice of suspicion of illegal production, making, purchasing, storage, transportation, sending and sale of narcotics, psychotropic substances and their analogues; sowing or cultivation of opium poppy or cannabis. Custody was chosen as a type of detention.

The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.

The operation was conducted jointly with the National Police under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor's Office of Luhansk region.