Photo: As part of Operation Breaking Bad, the National Police dismantled two drug labs
The National Police conducted a two-phase special operation called “Breaking Bad,” during which they dismantled two criminal groups and shut down two drug labs. The suspects were manufacturing methadone and amphetamine for wholesale distribution in Ukraine and abroad.
“87 searches, two dismantled drug labs, and seized methadone worth over 10 million hryvnias—these are the results of the two-stage special operation ‘Breaking Bad.’ Law enforcement officers dismantled two criminal groups that were manufacturing methadone and amphetamine for wholesale distribution in Ukraine and abroad. Six suspects were detained, and investigators have notified eight individuals that they are under suspicion,” the police statement reads.
According to the investigation, the suspects organized the production of narcotics and psychotropic substances on an exceptionally large scale. The members divided responsibilities among themselves for the manufacture, storage, transportation, and distribution of the prohibited substances.
According to operational intelligence, the Kyiv drug lab had a production capacity of over 10 kg of methadone per month. The organizer enlisted a co-organizer with a Ph.D. in chemistry, who possessed specialized knowledge in the synthesis of the narcotic substance.
The primary sales target was the foreign market. To conceal the shipment, the methadone was converted into a liquid state and disguised as automotive fluid. A special hiding place was set up in the vehicle. The plan was to transport the drug through Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey to Georgia.
At the same time, an extensive retail distribution network was in operation. An online store operated on Telegram, where “customers” could order methadone remotely. The channel had a wide range of customers, and pre-trained administrators were responsible for running the store. The “product” was delivered to customers contactlessly—using postal services.
Another group organized the production of amphetamine in mobile drug labs in the Cherkasy and Vinnytsia regions. Monthly production reached about 10 kilograms of finished product. The psychotropic substance was sold in bulk lots starting at one kilogram to trusted buyers, and some of it was shipped to the Republic of Moldova.
While gathering evidence, police systematically disrupted the warehouse operations: they detained individuals who were storing the manufactured substances and facilitating their subsequent distribution. This made it possible to cut off the supply from the laboratories to the distributors and prevent the manufactured batches from entering illegal circulation.
Police carried out the first phase of the special operation on September 13. Law enforcement officers dismantled a methadone laboratory, detained a courier who also served as a lab technician, and shut down the drug supply chain. During 12 searches, authorities seized 17 liters of liquid methadone, 11 kilograms of precursors, chemical compounds, laboratory equipment, machinery, a vehicle, and cash. The estimated value of the seized drugs on the black market is over 10 million hryvnias.
The second phase of the special operation took place on September 30. During 75 searches, law enforcement officers seized equipment and supplies for manufacturing illicit substances, cell phones, laptops, tablets, bank cards, 11 vehicles, and cash.
In total, 87 searches were conducted as part of the two-phase operation, and two drug laboratories were dismantled. Six members of the criminal groups were detained, and eight individuals were notified of their status as suspects under Part 3 of Article 307 and Part 3 of Article 311 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — the illegal production and distribution of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, as well as illegal activities involving precursors, depending on the crimes committed. The penalty for the most serious offense carries up to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.
The suspects have been placed in pretrial detention without the possibility of bail.
Source: National Police
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