The National Police carried out the second phase of the ‘RUBICON’ special operation against online drug trafficking
The National Police of Ukraine has carried out the second phase of the large-scale special operation ‘RUBICON’, aimed at eliminating the online distribution of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances within Ukraine.
The operation was coordinated by the Department for Combating Drug-Related Crime and the Main Investigation Directorate of the National Police, under the procedural guidance of the Office of the Prosecutor General and regional prosecutors’ offices.
The aim of the special operation was to dismantle an extensive network of illegal drug trafficking, which operated via anonymous online platforms, online shops, messaging apps, cryptocurrency payments and other digital tools.
Over 1,000 law enforcement officers were deployed for the second phase of the operation. The operation involved anti-drug units, investigative units and staff from the main directorates of the National Police in the regions and in Kyiv. The operation was also carried out in cooperation with the Military Law Enforcement Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Main Directorate of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Chernivtsi region.
During the special operation, law enforcement officers documented the activities of individuals involved in setting up drug laboratories, as well as in organising, managing and ensuring the operation of a large-scale drug distribution network.
The investigation utilised operational work, investigative measures, criminal analysis, OSINT tools and blockchain intelligence. This enabled the identification of links between members of criminal groups, distribution channels, digital traces and financial flows.
As part of the second phase of the special operation, police officers carried out over 100 controlled purchases. As a result, they seized narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and obtained evidence of the online distribution network’s operations.
The operation led to the identification of over 400 individuals involved in drug-related activities. Of these, 146 have already been notified that they are suspected of committing criminal offences relating to the illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
Law enforcement officers dismantled a laboratory producing a-PVP and three laboratories producing amphetamine.
In addition, nearly 90 kilograms of drugs were seized, including 67 kilograms of a-PVP, 4 kilograms of cannabis, 3.6 kilograms of amphetamine and 1.3 kilograms of mephedrone. In addition, over 570 litres of precursors were seized.
The value of the seized drugs at black market prices is nearly 70 million hryvnias.
In Bukovina, law enforcement officers dismantled a laboratory producing the psychotropic substance alpha-PVP and disrupted the supply chain for this psychotropic substance to various regions of Ukraine. In total, they seized drugs worth nearly 44 million hryvnias and arrested two members of a drug gang.
In Kyiv, a laboratory producing amphetamine – which was subsequently sold within the capital – was dismantled. The organiser was arrested.
In the Poltava region, two organisers of a scheme involving the illegal trafficking of the precursor phenylnitropropene were arrested. During searches, around 14 kilograms of the precursor were seized from them, which could have been used to produce nearly 14 kilograms of amphetamine.
Law enforcement officers are continuing to identify the full circle of individuals involved in organising, managing, financing and facilitating the operations of the online drug market.
