Over 250 Searches Across Ukraine: Prosecutor's Office and SBU Dismantle Network Selling the Falsified Weight-Loss Drug Biopatid

The Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor's Office, together with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), has launched a large-scale investigative operation covering several regions of the country. According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, law enforcement officers are simultaneously carrying out more than 250 authorized searches within a criminal case related to the illegal manufacture and sale of a knowingly falsified weight-loss drug marketed under the brand name "Biopatid." This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing official statements from the Office of the Prosecutor General and the SBU.

Scale of the Operation and Participants

Investigative actions are being carried out simultaneously in various regions of Ukraine, indicating the extensive reach of the criminal network. In footage released by the Office of the Prosecutor General, prosecutors (wearing official vests marked "Dnipropetrovsk Regional Prosecutor's Office") and SBU operatives (with the "SBU" emblem on the sleeve) can be seen inspecting the seized packages of the drug. Numerous boxes of the product, sealed in transparent film, are laid out in open suitcases and on tables, indicating the substantial volume of goods seized. The exact number of regions where searches are being conducted simultaneously is not specified in the provided materials.

Legal Qualification and Elements of the Offense

The actions of the suspects have been qualified under Part 3 of Article 28 and Part 2 of Article 321-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. Article 321-1 of the Criminal Code provides for liability for the manufacture, storage, transportation, or sale of knowingly falsified medicinal products, while Part 3 of Article 28 refers to complicity in the commission of a crime as part of an organized group. Thus, the investigation treats the suspects' actions not as an isolated incident but as the systematic activity of a structured criminal organization operating over a certain period of time.

What Is Biopatid and Why the Drug Was Deemed Falsified

"Biopatid" is a product that was marketed as a weight-loss aid. According to the investigation, the product is knowingly falsified, meaning its composition, properties, or origin do not match the declared characteristics, and it was sold with the direct intent to mislead consumers. Specific details about the drug's composition, the scale of harm caused to citizens' health, and the number of victims are not disclosed in the provided materials. The operational actions are aimed at halting further sales and identifying all members of the organized group.

Context: Tightened Control over Supplements in Ukraine

The operation to stop the sale of Biopatid comes against the backdrop of systematic tightening of state control over the circulation of biologically active supplements and medicinal products in Ukraine. Previously, the President of Ukraine signed a law prohibiting the sale of medicinal drugs under the guise of dietary supplements. The regulatory act introduces fines of up to 935,000 hryvnia for disseminating false information about a product or for violating the rules of its sale. This legislative step was aimed at closing the legal "gray zone" that manufacturers and distributors of dubious "weight-loss" products had previously exploited, formally positioning their products as supplements to evade the registration requirements for medicinal drugs.

Contradictory Data

The provided sources do not contain the exact date on which the investigative actions began, nor a specific list of the regions where searches are being conducted simultaneously. RBC-Ukraine and from-ua.org unanimously confirm the fact of more than 250 searches and the qualification under Article 321-1 of the Criminal Code; however, none of the sources provides information on detained individuals, the amounts of damage caused, or the number of units of the drug seized. In addition, the materials do not indicate at what stage the criminal case is currently at — whether it is still in the pre-trial investigation phase or has already been referred to court. These gaps do not create contradictions between the accounts, but they limit the completeness of the overall picture at this time.