Illegal Cultivation of Narcotic Substances
On June 24, police officers from the 1st department of the Zhytomyr district police department received information about illegal cultivation of narcotic substances by a 44-year-old resident of the village of Singuriv. During urgent investigative actions, law enforcement officers discovered a greenhouse where hemp plants were growing. In total, the police counted 192 plants.
Discovery of Poppy Plants
The day before, officers from the Zhytomyr district police department’s community unit discovered poppy plants on the territory of a private estate on the outskirts of the regional center. Law enforcement officers confiscated over seven hundred plants from the household plot. All seized items have been sent for examination to the regional Scientific Research Forensic Center of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Police investigators are clarifying all circumstances within the framework of the ongoing criminal proceedings.
Legal Consequences
It is worth noting that poppies and hemp are raw materials for the production of narcotic substances. Ukrainian legislation regulates the cultivation of these plants for food and industrial purposes, but growing them in private households without a special permit is illegal.
According to Article 310 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, planting or cultivating poppies in quantities of 100 to 500 plants or hemp from 10 to 50 plants is considered a criminal offense, punishable by a fine of 1700 to 8500 hryvnias, up to 6 months of arrest, or a restriction of liberty for up to three years. If the specified number of plants is exceeded, the punishment can reach 7 years of imprisonment.
