Between 12 and 17 February 2026, Europol supported law enforcement authorities in Ukraine, Poland, and Moldova in a joint operation against an international criminal network involved in the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs, primarily synthetic cathinones such as alpha-PVP.
The action day saw the Ukrainian National Police and the Polish Police Central Bureau of Investigation conducting coordinated checks at approximately 510 locations. Law enforcement officers dismantled 36 illicit production sites and 74 storage facilities for ready-to-distribute drugs. A total of 129 persons faced criminal charges, 103 persons were taken into custody.
The targeted network is suspected of operating across various countries, including Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine. The group is allegedly led by a Ukrainian organiser who establishes and equips illegal laboratories with necessary hardware and chemical substances.
Investigators believe this individual to maintain extensive connections to Polish criminal networks, facilitating the supply of precursors, essential chemicals, and equipment through legal business structures.
The operation involved house searches and the inspection of other premises and vehicles. In total, the action day led to the following seizures:
- 20 610 litres of precursors
- 229.4 kilograms of alpha-PVP
- 156.3 kilograms of amphetamine
- 46.6 kilograms and 284 litres of phenyl-2-nitropropene
- 2 kilograms of metallic sodium
- 67.6 kilograms and 350 litres of mephedrone
- 7 kilograms of methamphetamine
- 47 kilograms of cannabis
- 5 115 MDMA tablets
- 2 000 ecstasy tablets
- UAH 1.6 million (around EUR 31 000), USD 167 000 (around EUR 141 000), EUR 39 000 in cash
- virtual assets worth USD 45 000 (around EUR 38 000)
- 41 vehicles
Modus operandi
The criminal network employed several notable tactics to facilitate their illicit activities. It misused legal business structures operated by Polish and Lithuanian individuals with past involvement in illicit synthetic drug production.
This allowed them to import chemicals, including precursors not yet subject to control, and facilitate the activities of various illegal laboratories detected in various countries. By operating in multiple Member States and exploiting legal loopholes, the network spread the risk of exposure and made it more challenging for law enforcement authorities to disrupt their activities.
Europol’s contribution to the operation included operational and analytical support, with a focus on providing real-time data and facilitating information exchange during the action days. This collaborative effort aimed to disrupt the network’s activities and to strengthen the fight against synthetic drug production and trafficking in Europe.
23.02.2026.
