As war rages on in Ukraine, organised crime is taking new forms

This article is published in association with United Nations.

Almost four years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, criminal groups in Ukraine are adapting their business models amid displacement, rising trafficking risks and an increased demand for synthetic drugs, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a report published on Friday. 

Since February 2022, both legal and illegal economies in Ukraine have been severely disrupted by the war. 

The report examines the evolution of organised crime structures in the country and focuses on six distinct areas: drug trafficking and production, online scams and fraud, arms trafficking, economic crime, trafficking in persons, and the facilitation of illegal exit and draft evasion.

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“The war has not only inflicted untold suffering on the Ukrainian people, but has also triggered a marked evolution in organised crime – which can have profound implications for the country’s journey towards recovery and reconstruction,” said Angela Me, Chief of Research and Analysis at UNODC.

Drug trafficking

While the trafficking of cocaine and heroin through Ukraine has decreased drastically since 2022, the production and trafficking of synthetic drugs such as cathinones and methadone have increased.

The expansion of cathinone trafficking in recent years has been facilitated by the darknet, notably through market platforms such as Hydra, which was dismantled in April 2022.

Regarding methadone, the report noted that most of the Ukrainian production is trafficked within the country and not abroad, as domestic demand for the drug is on the rise.

Arms trafficking

The war has also increased the availability of weapons in the country, notably due to a massive influx of arms from the battlefield.

This surplus is resulting in a rise in arms seizures and violence among civilians, marked notably by an increase in domestic and intimate partner violence.

Although there is no evidence to suggest large-scale arms trafficking outside Ukraine, UNODC highlighted the importance of monitoring the situation in light of the sheer number of weapons available and the historic regional presence of criminal actors specialising in arms trafficking.

While there is, as of now, no evidence of drones being used in a non-military context, civilian drones and 3D-printed components for frontline attacks could fuel new illicit markets, the report found.

Trafficking in persons

As roughly 14 million people have been displaced by the war, some criminal groups have exploited these populations by luring them into shelters or accommodations disguised as humanitarian assistance providers, where they are subjected to forced labour.

While intensified patrolling of the borders, paired with the near-complete closure of the eastern and north-eastern borders, has limited the smuggling of migrants through Ukraine, traffickers have instead turned to facilitating draft evasion by Ukrainian men.

“Curtailing organised crime is a key requirement for achieving sustainable peace, justice, national security and the protection of human rights,” said Matthias Schmale, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, as the global body stands ready to support the country in this critical work. 

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