Ukraine, Poland and Moldova shut down international drug production and distribution network
Law enforcement officers have completed the international special operation "Rubicon", aimed at eliminating a large-scale system of production and distribution of drugs and psychotropic substances. As a result of three stages of the operation in Ukraine, 1209 searches were conducted, and 367 suspects were notified of suspicion.
The operation has been ongoing since February 2026 with the participation of law enforcement agencies of Ukraine, Poland and Moldova and within the framework of international cooperation with Europol. Law enforcement officers consistently worked through the entire chain of the drug business - from the smuggling of precursors and industrial production of psychotropics to warehouses, delivery, online sales and laundering of the received funds.
According to the investigation, precursors were smuggled from European Union countries to Ukraine and Poland. In clandestine laboratories, they were used to produce, in particular, alpha-PVP, amphetamine, mephedrone and other psychotropic substances.
Laboratories were set up in rented private houses, garages, dacha cooperatives and abandoned industrial premises. Finished drugs were stored in underground warehouses, sent by postal services and distributed through "stashes".
For sales, more than 130 anonymous platforms in messengers and chat bots were used. Payments were mainly made in cryptocurrency, which was then converted into cash through shadow exchange offices.
What was seized during the operation
As a result of the three stages of "Rubicon", law enforcement officers neutralized 42 drug laboratories, stopped the operation of 138 warehouses of finished products and exposed 56 drug shops.
Over one ton of finished drugs and psychotropics, as well as 22 tons of precursors, were seized from illegal circulation. According to preliminary estimates, more than 4 tons of narcotic substances could be produced from this amount of precursors.
In addition, law enforcement officers seized 50 cars, UAH 1.6 million, USD 167 thousand and EUR 39 thousand. The total value of the seized drugs and precursors at "black market" prices exceeds UAH 540 million.
In total, more than 3.5 thousand law enforcement officers were involved in the operation. The pre-trial investigation in criminal proceedings is ongoing.
The operation took place in three stages
The first large-scale stage took place in February. At that time, Ukrainian law enforcement officers, together with colleagues from Poland and Moldova, shut down cross-border channels for the supply of drugs and precursors. In Poland, six people involved in the operation of laboratories were detained, and in Moldova - a courier who tried to transport drugs of Ukrainian production across the border.
During the second stage, law enforcement officers focused on online sales networks, couriers and warehouses. The final stage was aimed at eliminating the remaining infrastructure - online stores, drug storage places and delivery channels.
Based on materials from: National Police of Ukraine, Office of the Prosecutor General
