The men were detained as they were leaving post offices with shipments of a psychoactive substance. Investigators from the Uzhhorod District Police Department have filed indictments with the court—the defendants face up to 8 years in prison.
Three local residents in Uzhhorod will stand trial for ordering large quantities of kratom online and receiving them via postal services. In total, law enforcement officers seized approximately 3 kilograms of the dangerous substance from illegal circulation.
The Transcarpathian Regional Prosecutor’s Office and the Uzhhorod District Police Department reported that the criminal cases had been transferred to court.
Background information from “Zakarpattia Visnyk”:
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) is a tree native to Southeast Asia. Its leaves contain alkaloids (including mitragynine) that have a pronounced psychoactive effect: in small doses, they act as a stimulant, while in higher doses, they cause an opioid-like sedative effect and the rapid development of a persistent drug dependence.
As of November 2024, by a resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, kratom and mitragynine have been officially added to the List of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, and Precursors. Any importation, shipment, purchase, or possession of these substances carries severe criminal liability.
Three instances of shipment: from 450 grams to nearly two kilograms
Police investigators documented three separate incidents involving the receipt of the psychoactive substance by different individuals:
- The largest shipment: 11 packaged bags containing a dry, ground substance with a total weight of over 1.8 kg were seized from a Uzhhorod resident;
- Second incident: another resident placed two orders, in which 9 packages of kratom weighing about 700 grams were found;
- Third case: a third suspect received 5 packages with a total weight of over 450 grams.
All orders were paid for online via e-commerce platforms and were delivered to the city’s post offices. Investigators caught each recipient red-handed—right outside the post office as they attempted to take the packages home. The seized substances were sent to the National Forensic Science Center for chemical analysis, which confirmed that they were controlled substances.
Court Proceedings and the Threat of Imprisonment
The pretrial investigation was completed by investigators from the Uzhhorod District Police Department under the procedural supervision of the Uzhhorod District Prosecutor’s Office.
All three suspects are charged with:
- Part 3 of Article 309 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—the illegal acquisition and possession of narcotics in particularly large quantities without the intent to sell.
The indictments have already been submitted to the Uzhhorod courts for consideration. The penalty under this article provides for imprisonment for a term of 5 to 8 years.
In accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of a crime and may not be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a court conviction.
Source: Transcarpathian Regional Prosecutor’s Office / Uzhhorod District Police Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Transcarpathian Region.
Photo: Transcarpathian Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
