Law enforcement officials have announced the dismantling of a network of clandestine drug laboratories that had been operating since at least July 2025. According to the investigation, methadone was being produced in Kyiv and amphetamine in the Cherkasy region, with a total production capacity exceeding 20 kg of illicit substances per month. The finished products were sold in Ukraine and shipped abroad in large consignments. Eight suspects have already been notified of the charges against them, and six have been remanded in custody.
- Law enforcement officers have uncovered two clandestine laboratories — one in Kyiv and one in the Cherkasy region.
- Their combined output exceeded 20 kg of methadone and amphetamine per month.
- Large consignments of drugs were shipped to European countries, Turkey and Georgia.
- During the two phases of the operation, 87 searches were carried out.
Two laboratories and exports abroad
Law enforcement officers had been investigating the scheme for over a year. According to the investigation, those involved had divided production between two sites: A methadone production laboratory was operating in Kyiv, whilst amphetamine was being produced in the Cherkasy region.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, each of them was capable of producing more than 10 kg of substances every month.
It wasn’t just about retail sales. The bulk of the produce was sold in batches per kilogramme, with a significant proportion being prepared for shipment outside Ukraine — to neighbouring European countries, as well as to Turkey and Georgia. A specific method of concealment was used to transport the methadone: the substance was transported in liquid form, disguised as a motor vehicle fluid.
At the same time, a retail sales channel operated via Telegram. According to the investigation, orders were dispatched via postal services without any face-to-face contact with customers.
The first searches yielded 17 litres of methadone
The active phase of the operation began in early September. At that time, the police carried out 12 searches and seized around 17 litres of liquid methadone, 11 kg of precursors, chemicals and equipment that could have been used in the production process. They also seized computer equipment, a car and cash.
Law enforcement officers estimated the value of the seized methadone based on black market prices at over 10 million UAH.
A further 75 searches were carried out at the end of September
During the second phase at the end of September, law enforcement officers simultaneously carried out a further 75 searches. Among the items seized were laboratory equipment, mobile phones, computers, bank cards, 11 vehicles and around 6,000 dollars in cash.
The photographs released by the public prosecutor’s office show containers of chemical substances, laboratory equipment and other items, which are currently being examined as part of the criminal investigation.
In total, the following were carried out during the two phases of the operation 87 searches.
Six suspects are in custody
At least eight people are involved in the case.
They were notified that they were under suspicion under sections of the Criminal Code relating to the unlawful manufacture and distribution of narcotic and psychotropic substances on a particularly large scale, as well as unlawful dealings in precursors.
Six suspects have been arrested. The court has ordered that they be remanded in custody without the right to provide security.
Law enforcement agencies are continuing to trace the whereabouts of other possible participants in the scheme and are investigating the supply chains for raw materials and the distribution of finished products.
The investigation is ongoing. In accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
