103 arrested and 20,000 litres of precursors seized in huge Eastern Europe drugs bust
Law enforcement authorities across Ukraine, Poland and Moldova have arrested 103 people, and dismantled 36 drug labs and 74 storage facilities, in a joint operation against an international criminal network involved in the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs.
Supported by Europol between 12-17 February, the operation's "action day" saw the Ukrainian National Police and the Polish Police Central Bureau of Investigation conducting coordinated checks at approximately 510 locations.
The targeted network is suspected of operating across various countries, including Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine, allegedly headed by a Ukrainian who establishes and equips illegal laboratories with the hardware and chemical substances to manufacture synthetic drugs.
"Investigators believe this individual to maintain extensive connections to Polish criminal networks, facilitating the supply of precursors, essential chemicals and equipment through legal business structures," reported Europol.
Total seized items and quantities
The operation involved house searches and the inspection of other premises and vehicles. In total, the action day led to the following seizures:
- 20,610 litres of precursors
- 229.4 kilograms of alpha-PVP
- 156.3 kilograms of amphetamine
- 46.6 kilograms and 284 litres of phenyl-2-nitropropene
- Two kilograms of metallic sodium
- 67.6 kilograms and 350 litres of mephedrone
- Seven kilograms of methamphetamine
- 47 kilograms of cannabis
- 5,115 MDMA tablets
- 2,000 ecstasy tablets
- Cash reserves of 1.6 million Ukrainian hryvnia, $167,000 USD and €39,000
- Virtual assets worth $45,000 USD
- 41 vehicles
Modus operandi
The criminal network is understood to have misused legal business structures operated by Polish and Lithuanian individuals with past involvement in illicit synthetic drug production.
"This allowed them to import chemicals, including precursors not yet subject to control, and facilitate the activities of various illegal laboratories detected in various countries," wrote Europol. By operating across national jurisdictions and exploiting legal loopholes, the network spread the risk of exposure and made it more challenging for law enforcement authorities to disrupt their activities.
Reporting on the joint operation, Ukrainian news outlet Hromadske said that the group managed to produce up to 700 kilograms of drugs per month, with estimated profits exceeding $9.2 million USD. Payments were accepted via cryptocurrency wallets, and deliveries were made through logistics companies and "stashes". The total value of the 27 million doses of drugs seized by law enforcement officers likely exceeds $9 million USD, they reported.
"Europol's contribution to the operation included operational and analytical support, with a focus on providing real-time data and facilitating information exchange during the action days. This collaborative effort aimed to disrupt the network's activities and to strengthen the fight against synthetic drug production and trafficking in Europe," they said.
The full list of participating law enforcement agencies from across Ukraine, Poland and Moldova can be found here. A video published on YouTube with footage from the various operations can be watched here.
