Europol supports action in Ukraine, Poland, and Moldova: large amounts of drugs and precursors seized
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, and 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 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.
Europol, European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation, conducted this operation as part of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT). The platform tackles the most important threats posed by organised and serious international crime affecting the EU. EMPACT strengthens intelligence, strategic and operational cooperation between national authorities, EU institutions and bodies, and international partners.
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