Operation Mak-2021: National Police Detect Record Area of Illegal Cultures of Drug-Containing Plants
During the operation, police destroyed more than 11 million poppy and hemp plants, which were grown on an area of more than 400 hectares. Investigative units initiated 2729 criminal proceedings. So far, in 1022 criminal proceedings, offenders have already been notified of suspicion. This was announced on October 8 by the Deputy Head of the Department for Combating Drug Crimes Dmitry Kononenko.
The annual complex of measures under the conditional name “Poppy”, which was held from May 21 to September 23, was aimed at identifying and destroying illegal crops of poppy and cannabis plants, as well as preventing the entry of these plants into drug users. Police officers inspected not only private households, but also the land of agricultural enterprises.
According to the Deputy Head of the Department for Combating Drug Crime Dmitry Kononenko, during the training, law enforcement officers discovered the largest in the history of the operation 432 hectares of illegal crops. In total, more than 11 million drug-containing plants have been destroyed, including nearly 174,000 poppy plants and more than 11 million cannabis bushes.
“Thus, as a result of the operation “MAK”, 2,729 criminal proceedings were initiated on the grounds of the crime provided for in Article 310 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, this is the illegal sowing or cultivation of dreamy poppy or hemp). In 1022 criminal proceedings, offenders have already been notified of suspicion,” Dmytro Kononenko noted.
In particular, in the Dnipropetrovsk region, law enforcement officers exposed a 29-year-old man who equipped the territory of his own land plot with an irrigation system, where he grew hemp plants and engaged in their processing. 1900 bushes of drug-containing plants and 40 kg of cannabis were seized from the attacker. According to the prices of the “black” market, the value of the seized drug raw materials is more than 11 million hryvnias.
And a month later in Transcarpathia on the territory of the farm, namely under the premises where domestic animals were kept, the intruder dug and equipped two rooms equipped according to all technological requirements for growing hemp. In total, law enforcement officers seized 626 cannabis plants, 6 kg of cannabis, laboratory equipment (drip irrigation systems, ventilation, electrical sensors and devices for measuring soil acidity) from the storage. On the “black” market, the cost of production from these plants would be at least 5 million hryvnias.
For the fifth year in a row, police officers are using air intelligence to detect illegal crops of poppy and hemp plants that are located in hard-to-reach places or hidden among crops. Thus, 171 cases of illegal cultivation of drug raw materials were detected in 19 regions with the help of drones.
So, in July, in the Kyiv region on the territory of farmlands, law enforcement officers discovered four plots sown with drug-containing plants, with a total area of almost 14 acres, which were hidden among a sunflower field. In total, law enforcement officers counted 3,526 cannabis plants.
“Such a high result was made possible thanks to the coordinated and professional actions of all bodies and units of the National Police. Therefore, we continue to detect and destroy illegal crops of plants of dreamy poppy and hemp, so that our state does not turn into a country of supplier of drug raw materials,” Dmytro Kononenko concluded.
Department for Combating Drug Crimes of the National Police of Ukraine
