Kherson region: SBU exposes repeat offender for organizing drug channel from Latin America

The SBU and the National Police exposed an international criminal group that organized cocaine smuggling from Latin America to Ukraine. The monthly turnover of the "business" was estimated at almost half a million US dollars.

This was reported by the SBU Communication Department.

As a result of a special operation in Kyiv, the organizer of the scheme and 15 of his accomplices, who supplied large quantities of cocaine from Latin American drug cartels, were detained. After importation into Ukraine, the drugs were packaged in single-dose polymer bags and sold through a network of their own couriers.

To conceal the scale of their activities, the criminals rented several apartments in different districts of Kyiv and disguised the drugs as packages with wet wipes. The "goods" were delivered in their own cars under the guise of a taxi, and to find customers, they created two special Telegram channels where they agreed on the price and terms of anonymous delivery.

The group's organizer was a 40-year-old repeat offender from Kherson region who had previously served a sentence for drug trafficking. He involved his friends with criminal experience, particularly in drug smuggling and sales.

During 55 searches, the SBU seized more than 2 kg of ready-made cocaine, mobile phones, bank cards, laptops and draft records confirming the criminal activity.

The offenders were served a notice of suspicion under Art. 1 and 3 of Art. 307 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal production and sale of drugs by a group of persons). Additional qualification for smuggling is also being considered.

The detainees are in custody. They face up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.

In January, an Odesa court sent a suspect in the organization of international drug trafficking to a pre-trial detention center. As part of a special operation, it was established that the drug trafficking was organized by an international criminal group consisting of citizens of Ukraine, Armenia, the Czech Republic and Germany. The group members had a clear division of roles, acted in secret and used several levels of logistics.

Анна Бальчінос