Participants of a criminal organization of drug dealers will be tried in Transcarpathia
In December last year, employees of the Directorate of Strategic Investigations in the Transcarpathian Region of the National Police, the Investigative Department of the Transcarpathian Police under the procedural leadership of the Uzhgorod District Prosecutor's Office and the Zakarpattia Regional Prosecutor's Office conducted a special operation involving more than 200 law enforcement officers. Then they seized drugs worth UAH 45 million.
According to the investigation, the participants of the “syndicate” from different regions had almost no contact with each other. Such a structure was created so that when the so-called “black workers” were detained, they did not have information that could be useful to the police.
The defendants arranged a drug laboratory in the basement of a private house on the outskirts of one of the villages of the Uzhhorod district. Its capacity allowed to produce up to 25 kg of “goods” every week and receive up to UAH 40 million in profit.
Drugs and psychotropic substances were sold in the regional and largest regional centers of Ukraine through a closed channel in the messenger. There were also several storage points for precursors and finished products, which were delivered to the laboratory and dealers by mail.
The police found out that five people — residents of Zhytomyr and Kyiv — were engaged in the purchase of precursors. In the future, dealers sold the “goods” in large batches to dealers, and they already retail using the so-called “bookmark” system.
In mid-December last year, as a result of a large-scale special operation, law enforcement officers stopped the activities of the drug group and detained its participants. They also seized drugs worth UAH 45 million.
Currently, the pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings has been completed, the indictment against 14 members of the criminal organization has been sent to court. Depending on the participation and role in criminal activity, the actions of the accused are qualified according to several articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- Art. 255 (Creation, leadership of a criminal community or criminal organization, as well as participation in it);
- Art. 263 (Illegal handling of weapons, ammunition or explosives);
- Art. 307 (Illegal production, manufacture, acquisition, storage, transportation, shipment or marketing of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues);
- Art. 309 Illegal production, manufacture, acquisition, storage, transportation or shipment of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues without the purpose of marketing;
- Art. 311 (Illegal production, manufacture, acquisition, storage, transportation or shipment of precursors);
- Art. 317 (Organization or maintenance of premises for the illicit use, manufacture or manufacture of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues).
The defendants are currently in custody. The accused may face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
National Police of Ukraine
