---
title: "A $5 Million Scheme: A 27-Member Network Producing the Falsified Weight-Loss Drug Biopatid Uncovered in Ukraine"
description: "The OPG and the SBU announced suspicions against 27 members of a network that produced the falsified weight-loss drug Biopatid containing tirzepatide. The $5 million scheme involved smuggling raw materials from China, an underground laboratory, and promotion through bloggers."
date: 2026-09-13T12:52:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/5-million-dollar-scheme-27-suspects-falsified-weight-loss-drug-biopatid-ukraine
tags: [fake-drug, weight-loss, tirzepatide, biopatid, sbu, ogp, ukraine, fraud, customs-smuggling, bloggers]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# A $5 Million Scheme: A 27-Member Network Producing the Falsified Weight-Loss Drug Biopatid Uncovered in Ukraine

## 🎯 Key Points

- 27 members of a scheme for producing and distributing the falsified drug Biopatid were notified of suspicions by the OPG and the SBU
- The raw material (tirzepatide) was smuggled from China disguised as a food supplement; production took place in an underground laboratory with no quality control
- Promotion was carried out through bloggers, actors, social media, and a Kyiv clinic; the margin ranged from $17 to $1,200 per vial
- Since the start of 2026, the members earned more than $5 million; over 250 searches were conducted in six regions, with property and cash of nearly 15 million hryvnia seized

The Office of the Prosecutor General and the Security Service of Ukraine announced suspicions against 27 members of an organized group that had established large-scale production and distribution of a falsified weight-loss drug under the brand name "Biopatid" in Ukraine. The active ingredient was tirzepatide, yet the product was manufactured without any permits, registration, or certification. This was reported on September 13, 2026, by RBC-Ukraine, citing official statements from the OPG and the SBU.

### An Underground Lab and Smuggled Raw Materials from China

According to the investigation, the key active ingredient of unknown origin was smuggled in from China. To conceal the true nature of the cargo, a controlled customs broker declared it as an ordinary food supplement. The raw material was then sent to an underground laboratory, where finished vials were produced with no quality control and no adherence to pharmaceutical standards. The owner of a well-known Kyiv clinic played a separate role in the chain: aware of the drug's illegality, she not only failed to stop it but actively promoted it among colleagues, at specialized training events, and on social media.### Bloggers, Actors, and a "Cosmetic" Distribution Channel

To promote the counterfeit product, the organizers created a website and social media pages, hired sales managers, and actively offered the drug to cosmetic clinics, medical centers, and doctors. To build trust with a wider audience, they enlisted public figures—bloggers and actors—who served as informal "faces" of the product. Meanwhile, the finished drug was shipped to customers without maintaining the required storage temperature, further endangering consumers' health.

### A 70-Fold Margin: From $17 to $1,200 per Vial

The scheme's financial model was extremely high-margin: the raw material for one vial cost the organizers roughly $17, while the final retail price reached $1,200. According to the investigation, the group's members earned more than $5 million since the beginning of 2026. Among the 27 defendants are the mastermind of the entire scheme and owner of the underground laboratory, the owner of the Kyiv clinic, the customs broker, as well as laboratory workers, packers, and sales managers.

### More Than 250 Searches Across Six Regions and Asset Seizures

Law enforcement carried out more than 250 simultaneous searches in Kyiv and the Kyiv region, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Odesa, Poltava, and other cities across Ukraine. During the investigative actions, the falsified drug and raw materials were seized, along with the underground laboratory's equipment, technical devices, cash in various currencies totaling nearly 15 million hryvnia, expensive cars, and other property belonging to the suspects. According to the report, the investigative actions were conducted simultaneously across different regions of the country.

### What Comes Next: Pretrial Detention Measures and the Search for Victims

At present, investigators are determining which precautionary (preventive) measures will be applied to each of the 27 suspects. In parallel, work is underway to establish the exact channel through which the raw materials entered the country from abroad and to identify the circle of individuals who may have been harmed by the falsified drug. The final decision on all episodes will be made at the conclusion of the pretrial investigation.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Bloggers Advertised Fake Weight-Loss Drugs: A $5 Million Scheme Uncovered in Ukraine](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/blogeri-reklamuvali-feykovi-liki-shudnennya-1789303822.html) - Подтверждает сумму схемы (5 млн $), привлечение блогеров к продвижению, факт разоблачения ОГП/СБУ. Ссылка: https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/blogeri-reklamuvali-feykovi-liki-shudnennya-1789303822.html
- [Mass Searches Continue Across Ukraine Over a Fake Weight-Loss Drug](https://from-ua.org/news/703909-po-vsei-ukraine-prodolzaiutsia-massovye-obyski-v-sviazi-s-poddelnym-preparatom-dlia-poxudeniia.html) - Подтверждает масштаб обысков (250+) в нескольких регионах Украины и связь с поддельным препаратом для похудения. Ссылка: https://from-ua.org/news/703909-po-vsei-ukraine-prodolzaiutsia-massovye-obyski-v-sviazi-s-poddelnym-preparatom-dlia-poxudeniia.html

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What is Biopatid and why is it dangerous?
**A:** Biopatid is a falsified weight-loss drug in which tirzepatide was used as the active ingredient. The product was manufactured in an underground laboratory without registration, certification, or quality control, and it was stored and delivered without maintaining the required temperature. Consumers could not be certain of the dosage, the purity of the composition, or the safety of the product.

### Q: How many participants were detained and who are they?
**A:** Suspicions were announced to 27 individuals: the mastermind of the scheme and owner of the underground laboratory, the owner of a well-known Kyiv clinic, a customs broker, laboratory workers, packers, and sales managers. Specific names were not disclosed in the public statements of the OPG and the SBU at the time of publication.

### Q: What is the financial damage and the scale of the illegal trade?
**A:** According to the investigation, the group's members earned more than $5 million since the beginning of 2026. The cost of the raw material for one vial was about $17, while the product was sold for up to $1,200. During the searches, cash of nearly 15 million hryvnia in various currencies was seized, along with expensive cars and equipment.

### Q: How was the raw material smuggled across the border?
**A:** The active ingredient (tirzepatide) was imported from China. A controlled customs broker declared the cargo as an ordinary food supplement, which allowed it to evade inspection by customs and sanitary authorities. The true purpose and composition of the cargo were concealed.

### Q: What pretrial detention measures face the suspects?
**A:** At the time of publication, investigators were still deciding on the precautionary (preventive) measures to be applied to each of the 27 suspects. In parallel, the channel of raw material supply is being established and the circle of possible victims of the falsified drug is being identified.