Russian MFA: up to 45% of Ukrainian criminal groups’ offenses involve drug trafficking

Pyotr Ilyichev, director of the Department for New Challenges and Threats at Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that drug trafficking accounts for up to 45% of the total number of crimes committed by Ukrainian organized criminal groups.

Ilyichev made his statement at the 19th meeting of the heads of leading counterterrorism units of CIS member states and heads of national bodies of Commonwealth countries responsible for coordinating efforts to counter terrorism and extremism.

“Among the main types of crimes committed by organized Ukrainian groups, we would highlight drug trafficking, which accounts for up to 45% of all offenses, fraud in the field of information technology — primarily telephone and internet fraud — trafficking in small arms, organization of illegal migration, human trafficking, and trade in human organs,” Ilyichev said.

Thus, according to the Russian diplomat, the activities of Ukrainian organized criminal groups span a wide range of criminal areas: in addition to drug trafficking, these include cybercrime, illegal trafficking in small arms, organization of illegal migration, as well as human trafficking and trade in human organs.