The SBI exposed another major drug trafficking group with annual turnover of UAH 200 million in Dnipro region (VIDEO)

SBI agents, with the assistance of the National Police's Internal Affairs Department, conducted a large-scale special operation in Dnipro to expose and stop the activities of a criminal group of drug traffickers. The drug dealers distributed drugs and psychotropic substances in several regions of Ukraine.

This is the tenth organised criminal group involved in the production and distribution of drugs in all regions of Ukraine whose activities have been disrupted by the SBI since the beginning of 2023.

The group's monthly turnover was estimated at tens of millions of hryvnias and its annual turnover at over 200 million hryvnias.

The criminals sold various drugs and psychotropic substances on a prepaid basis. For this purpose, they set up 50 special bank accounts, each of which received from one to five million hryvnias of illegal profits annually.

The traffickers delivered the drugs through hidden places in public places in the city centre. Drug traffickers did not hesitate to sell drugs in the frontline areas despite martial law.

To stop the criminal activity, SBI officers conducted over 36 searches in Dnipro city and Dnipro region.

The head of the criminal organization, his accomplice who participated in the organization of the crimes, and four members of the criminal organization who directly ensured the sale of drugs and psychotropic substances were detained as a result of the operational and investigative efforts.

During the searches, the law enforcers found and seized narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances in particularly large amounts, which were prepared for sale to drug addicts, equipment for their packaging, and other material evidence proving the suspects' guilt.

Currently, the members of the organised group have been served a notice of suspicion of creating a criminal group engaged in the illegal acquisition, storage, transportation, transfer for sale and sale of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances on a particularly large scale (Art. 255, parts 1, 2, 28, part 4, part 3, Art. 307 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

These crimes are punishable by imprisonment for up to 12 years with confiscation of property.

The issue of choosing a type of detention is being decided.

The investigation is ongoing to identify all persons involved in the criminal activity.

Procedural guidance is provided by the Prosecutor General's Office.