In the capital, law enforcement officers detained two men who organized an underground drug store in the premises of a former restaurant.
This is reported by Kyiv24
The detained individuals are suspected of selling narcotic and psychotropic substances worth approximately 16 million hryvnias. According to the investigation, for a year and a half, they were selling prohibited substances through a special Telegram channel.
Sales Scheme and Scale of Operations
It has been established that the proceeds from sales were transferred by the suspects to a cryptocurrency wallet. They used a taxi service to transport the drugs, hiding the packages inside fake audio systems and music speakers. The monthly profit from such activities amounted to about 25-30 thousand dollars.
“The suspects received money for the sold goods through a crypto wallet. They carried out the delivery by sending packages via a taxi service, previously hiding them inside fake audio systems and music speakers. Investigators have determined that the profit from such activities was substantial β around 25-30 thousand dollars each month,” the statement reads.
Details of the Arrest and Seized Evidence
According to the police, the organizer of the group was a 22-year-old resident of the Kyiv region, who was responsible for planning and received the majority of the profits. His accomplice turned out to be a 38-year-old resident of Dnipropetrovsk region. The organizer had been living for a long time in a semi-basement of the former restaurant, where they set up a storage facility for drugs.
During the searches of the premises, law enforcement officers seized 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, 300 ecstasy pills, mephedrone, cannabis, smoking devices, packaging materials, mobile phones, and other evidence of illegal activities.
Both individuals have been charged under Part 1, 2 of Article 307 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which provides for liability for the illegal acquisition, transportation, and storage of narcotic substances in large quantities for the purpose of sale. Under this article, they face up to ten years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.
The court has chosen a preventive measure for the suspects in the form of detention with the possibility of posting bail in the amount of 250 thousand hryvnias.