Ukrainian authorities dismantle psychotropic drug operation in Poltava region Photo

Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have dismantled a criminal group accused of smuggling and producing large quantities of synthetic psychotropic drugs in central Ukraine, authorities said.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the National Police of Ukraine announced they had neutralised the group during a joint operation in the Poltava region. Five suspects, including the alleged organiser, were detained, Caliber.Az reports per SBU. 

According to investigators, the group smuggled foreign-made chemical precursors into Ukraine by concealing them among consumer goods. The chemicals were then used to manufacture the synthetic psychotropic substance alpha-PVP in a clandestine laboratory set up in a rented house in the Poltava district.

Alpha-PVP, a powerful stimulant sometimes referred to as “flakka,” is classified in Ukraine as a particularly dangerous psychotropic substance. Authorities say the finished product was distributed through a network of dealers both hand-to-hand and via hidden “stash” locations.

During searches of the laboratory and other premises, officers seized more than 11 kilograms of alpha-PVP, nearly 6,000 litres of chemical precursors, as well as cocaine. Police also confiscated production equipment, vehicles allegedly used for transportation, mobile phones, computers, bank cards and handwritten notes that investigators say document the group’s activities.

The suspected organiser is a 36-year-old resident of Poltava who allegedly recruited acquaintances to participate in the operation.

All five suspects have been formally notified of suspicion under multiple articles of Ukraine’s Criminal Code. They are being held in custody without the right to bail and face up to 15 years in prison with confiscation of property if convicted, authorities said.

By Sabina Mammadli