“Twenties”. How a large-scale drug syndicate dating back to the 90s was identified in Ukraine

The head of the Department of Strategic Investigations, Andrei Rubel, spoke with RBC-Ukraine about how the work of the syndicate was structured, what the hierarchy was and how they managed to detain everyone, including the organizers.

During the preparation of the material, comments from Andrei Rubel were used, as well as operational information from the DSR and the National Police of Ukraine.

Syndicate hierarchy

“Dvadtsatovskie” is a Krivoy Rog drug syndicate that has been operating in the city since the nineties. It was named after the quarter of the same name in Krivoy Rog. “Dvadtsatovskie” started out as a gang of racketeers. When they gained great influence, they began to “sell” their racketeering license to other, less extensive gangs. They, in turn, gave part of the “tribute” from the racketeering to the “twenty-year-olds” themselves for a license and forceful assistance.

In parallel with this, the gang began to produce and distribute drugs. Soon the gang turned into a real syndicate with its own hierarchy.

“They approached the construction of their work quite systematically so that they could not be exposed. Krivoy Rog is divided into districts, these districts are divided into blocks. In every block, in every district, they had their own representatives who sold drugs. There was even a “power bloc” - people who came if “problems” arose. They called the process of “educating” their own people “fishing,” notes Rubel.

In general, the work looked like this: at first, the gang obtained drugs containing drugs illegally, including abroad. For example, in Serbia the “twenties” had their own man, whom they called “Pharmacist”. Couriers went to the “Pharmacist” and took his pills, mainly pseudoephedrine. They hid the pills in the bottoms of cars and entered Ukraine through customs points where there were no scanners.

In Krivoy Rog, the tablets were distributed to “kitchens” where “cooks” worked. Through various manipulations, the “cooks” made methamphetamine from pseudoephedrine. The address of the “kitchen” was different each time and was never repeated.

“If you and I were in this group, I wouldn’t know what you do, and you wouldn’t know what I do. Everyone had their own role, one was to go to the post office, the second was to pick up straws (straws for drinks, they packaged drugs - ed.), the third was to take a bag. And the third doesn't even know what he's taking away. The fourth person must bring the bag to the apartment where the packaging will be done and leave. The fifth one comes and packs, the sixth one takes it and gives it away,” notes the head of the DSR.

Clients of the “twenties” knew that to obtain drugs they only had to call the “telephone store.” The “operator” already knew where the client was and sent him to the “huckster”, who was on duty at the same site all day. When the “huckster” ran out of drugs, a “refiller” came to him - he took the money and gave him methamphetamine. In total, there were about 25 “telephone stores” in Krivoy Rog. “Dvadtsatovskie” tried to be customer-oriented - their syndicate had a system of discounts and bonuses for “wholesalers” and regular customers.

Detention of the “twenties”

Over the course of a year, law enforcement officers documented the work of the “twenties” - during this time, investigators accumulated 880 volumes of indictments. Some time before the arrest, 1,200 police officers and operatives were brought to Krivoy Rog.

In order not to arouse suspicion, they were brought in in blocks - only six blocks of 200 people each. In each block, from 1 to 3 people knew about the full progress of operations. First, the top ranks of the gang decided to detain - the immediate leader, his right hand and the leaders of criminal organizations that sold drugs. The leaders of the gang's power unit were also detained.

“Well, these are strong guys, rich people. They legalized money received from the drug business, bought a lot in the Dnepropetrovsk region and Krivoy Rog - they had real estate, cars, restaurants, shops abroad,” Rubel added.

A total of 38 people were detained - all gang members. The organizers of the syndicate face up to 12 years in prison.