Bandi af stafrænni fyrirtæki sem keppti kolstöðvar og hóttaði blaðamönnum
Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities uncovered a criminal organization linked to fraudulent call centres, drug trafficking and illegal U420 shops during Operation Carthage. Recordings show members discussing attacks on journalist Denys Bigus and other media figures because of Bihus.Info's investigations, as well as possible bribery of officials. The investigation is ongoing and the allegations have not received a final judicial determination.
Helstu atriði
- At least 52 fraudulent call centres employing some 2,700 people were coordinated by the organization, according to investigators.
- One of the members, known as „Mexican“, led the transnational drug cartel Khimprom and was linked to the U420 shop network.
- U420 sold products containing a synthetic cannabinoid, mixing it with other substances to avoid falling under a legal ban.
- The Ministry of Interior forensic centre identified the substance as a synthetic cannabinoid classified as a variety of spice.
- Police searched U420 stores on 14 April 2026 under cases concerning illegal drug trafficking, creation of a criminal organization and money laundering.
- Members discussed physically punishing Denys Bigus, including pouring acid on his face, because of Bihus.Info's reporting on U420.
- NA BU and SAP began Operation Carthage on 5 September 2026 and announced the discovery of the organization on 4 November 2026.
Hvers vegna þetta skiptir máli
The alleged scheme links several kinds of serious crime: large-scale fraud operations, trafficking in a prohibited synthetic cannabinoid, violence against journalists and alleged corruption inside law enforcement. The organization reportedly used legitimate-looking shops and changing chemical formulas to distribute the substance while circumventing restrictions, and the searches in U420 stores are reported to have been pre-arranged, raising concerns about protection within law-enforcement bodies.
Hvað gerðist
NA BU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office said they had uncovered a criminal organization in Operation Carthage. According to investigators, it coordinated at least 52 fraudulent call centres with roughly 2,700 workers and systematically paid bribes to officials from the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Police and the Prosecutor General's Office in exchange for protection and a lack of interference. One of the members, a Russian citizen known as „Mexican“, headed the transnational Khimprom drug cartel and was linked to the U420 shop network. U420 sold goods disguised as souvenir cigarettes and drinks, including a prohibited synthetic cannabinoid, which the organization mixed with other substances to use formulas that formally fell outside the ban. Journalists from Bihus.Info bought products from three Kyiv shops and sent them to a private laboratory and the Ministry of Interior forensic centre, which identified the synthetic cannabinoid classified as a variety of spice. Authorities searched U420 stores on 14 April 2026 in cases concerning illegal drug trafficking, creation of a criminal organization and money laundering, and investigators said the searches had been announced in advance. Recordings published by NA BU and SAP show members discussing attacks on journalist Denys Bigus, blogger Ihor Lachenkov and the author of the ProKyiv Telegram channel. They initially considered paying journalists to drop the investigation, then discussed threats, physical attacks and arson; one participant proposed pouring acid on Bigus's face, while another warned that a direct attack would attract strong public attention. The group also discussed bribing a minister, identified on the recordings only by the initial „K“, to prevent changes to legislation on the U420 formulation. The plan was not carried out, according to investigators, after the participants learned that Bihus.Info was preparing an investigation.
Hvernig úkraínskar heimildir lýsa atburðinum
Ukrainian coverage centres on the internal security implications of the case, particularly the alleged protection of call centres and other illegal businesses by officials from the Security Service of Ukraine, the National Police and the Prosecutor General's Office. Substantial attention is also given to the public-health risk posed by the U420 products, the forensic detection of synthetic cannabinoids and the network's links to the Khimprom cartel. The published recordings are presented as evidence of threats against Denys Bigus and other media figures following Bihus.Info's U420 investigation. Reporting also examines alleged bribery of call centres, attempts to obstruct cooperation with NA BU and alleged interference with the independence of anti-corruption institutions.
Baksvið
The first physical U420 stores opened in Kyiv in spring 2025, and the network later numbered about 30 locations while preparing to expand to Kharkiv, Lviv, Dnipro and Odesa. Bihus.Info purchased products from three Kyiv stores and sent samples to a private laboratory and a state forensic centre, where a prohibited synthetic cannabinoid was identified. The Cabinet of Ministers added the substance to its list of prohibited substances on 5 February 2026, several days after the journalists made their purchases. Operation Carthage was launched in September 2026 and publicly announced in November 2026.