Ukrainian customs officers detected 540 cases of drug smuggling during the first five months of 2026, with the highest number of attempts recorded along the borders with Poland and Moldova.
According to Ukrinform, the figures were released by the State Customs Service of Ukraine.
“From January through May 2026, customs officers uncovered 540 cases involving the illegal transportation of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and precursors across the state border. This exceeds the figure for the same period in 2025, when 513 such cases were documented,” the statement said.
In total, customs officers seized 35.8 kilograms of narcotic drugs, including 28.5 kg of kratom and 7.3 kg of cannabis. They also confiscated 204 liters and 15.7 kilograms of psychotropic substances, including more than 18,300 tablets and 15,900 capsules, as well as 1,020 kilograms and nearly 69 liters of precursors and precursor-containing mixtures.
In most cases (406), the prohibited substances were being smuggled into Ukraine, while 134 cases involved attempts to take them out of the country.
The most common methods of transportation were road vehicles (298 cases) and postal shipments (217 cases).
The largest number of smuggling attempts was recorded at the borders with Poland and Moldova, with 147 and 95 cases, respectively.
Customs officers drew up 316 reports on customs violations. In addition, they referred 427 reports to Ukrainian law enforcement agencies concerning suspected criminal offenses related to drug smuggling and the illegal transportation or mailing of narcotic substances.
