Ukraine anti-corruption agencies expose criminal network linked to U420, drug trafficking and call centres
Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention and Specialised Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office said they exposed a criminal organization during Operation Carthage. The network allegedly coordinated at least 52 fraudulent call centres, sold synthetic cannabinoids through U420 shops and received protection from law-enforcement officials. Recordings also show members discussing threats and physical attacks against journalists investigating the scheme.
Key points
- Operation Carthage was launched on 5 September 2026 and publicly announced on 4 November 2026.
- The organization allegedly coordinated at least 52 fraudulent call centres employing about 2,700 people.
- U420 shops sold products containing a synthetic cannabinoid classified as a type of spice; the substance was banned by the Cabinet of Ministers on 5 February 2026.
- Police searched U420 stores on 14 April 2026 under cases involving drug trafficking, creation of a criminal organization and money laundering.
- Investigators said law-enforcement officials had pre-arranged the searches with the criminal organization.
- Recordings show a figure known as “Mexican” discussing an acid attack on investigative journalist Denys Bigus and other attacks on media figures.
- A participant known as “Criminal” allegedly held a stake in U420 and received a monthly percentage of its turnover.
Why it matters
The alleged scheme combines large-scale fraud, drug distribution, corruption and attempts to intimidate journalists. U420’s use of legal-looking shops and altered chemical formulas reportedly allowed it to keep selling a prohibited synthetic cannabinoid, while alleged backing from law-enforcement officials created concerns about institutional accountability and protection of illegal businesses.
What happened
Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention and Specialised Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office announced on 4 November 2026 that they had exposed a criminal organization under Operation Carthage. According to investigators, the group coordinated at least 52 fraudulent call centres employing roughly 2,700 people, spread drugs and committed other crimes. Its participants allegedly paid law-enforcement officials to protect call centres and other illegal operations, with payments reportedly made in cryptocurrency.
One branch of the alleged activity was the U420 retail network. Investigators linked it to the transnational Khimprom drug cartel and identified the Russian citizen using the alias “Mexican” as its owner or leader. U420 sold products disguised as souvenir cigarettes and drinks that contained a synthetic cannabinoid. Journalists bought samples from three Kyiv stores and sent them for laboratory testing. The substance was classified as a variety of spice, and its circulation is prohibited.
Police searched U420 stores on 14 April 2026. Investigators also said the searches had been pre-arranged with members of the criminal organization, and participants called them a staged show for Bigus, society and journalists. The organization allegedly sought to influence legislation and regulation of its products, including possible legalization of marijuana, and discussed bribing a minister and other officials.
Audio and video recordings published by the anti-corruption bodies show participants considering ways to stop investigative journalism. They initially discussed paying journalists, then moved to threats, physical attacks and arson. The figure known as “Mexican” proposed spraying Denys Bigus in the face with acid, while other discussions concerned attacks on blogger Ihor Lachenkov, the author of the ProKyiv Telegram channel, and a veteran who intended to protest outside U420 shops. The investigation remains ongoing, and the allegations have not received a final judicial determination.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage emphasizes the internal security implications of the case, particularly the alleged protection provided to fraudulent call centres and illegal businesses by officials from the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Police and the Prosecutor General’s Office. Reporting also focuses on the public-health danger of U420 products, forensic evidence of synthetic cannabinoids and the network’s alleged connection to the Khimprom cartel. The published recordings are presented as evidence that investigators were threatened after Bihus.Info reported on U420.
Background
The first physical U420 stores opened in Kyiv in spring 2025. The network later grew to about 30 Kyiv locations and prepared to expand to Kharkiv, Lviv, Dnipro and Odesa. Bihus.Info purchased products from three Kyiv shops and sent samples to a private laboratory and a state forensic centre, where the synthetic cannabinoid was identified. The Cabinet of Ministers banned the substance on 5 February 2026, several days after the purchase. Operation Carthage began in September 2026 and was publicly announced in November.