Europe's Dirty Drugs Secret Stacey Dooley Investigates

All over the world hundreds and thousands of people are fighting a hidden war.

Oh, my gosh!

The outcome of which could affect us all.

It's the war against drugs.

In this series I travel to the front line of this conflict

over three continents.

I've travelled to Peru, a country that has now replaced Colombia

as the world's number one coca producer.

I visited Thailand.

This is the Yaba?

And discovered a drug destroying a generation.

Tonight, I'm investigating the struggle

to keep drugs out of the West,

so I'm heading to Ukraine, on the far eastern edge of Europe.

It's absolutely amazing that they were able to seize

over a tonne of cocaine in one swoop.

I discover the tricks used by traffickers to smuggle drugs.

They're so clever.

All you have to do is take it apart

and there was loads of cocaine stuffed in these pineapples.

I investigate the security in place to stop drug trafficking.

We focus on results.

But you haven't had any results. That's the problem, isn't it?

You haven't found any cocaine or any heroin?

I meet some unlikely activists trying to make a difference.

I'm chasing Darth Vader.

Another day at the office!

And I reveal that a highly dangerous new drug...

-They're going to inject?

-Yes! Oh, God! They're going to inject.

..could be on its way to Britain.

The longer we spend in here, the more grim it becomes, to be honest.

Situated on Europe's eastern edge,

Ukraine is one of Europe's largest, but least known countries.

It's famous for its beautiful summers, dome churches

and glamorous women.

But I'm here to investigate its new reputation

as a new frontier for trafficking illegal drugs into Europe.

So here I am in Odessa.

I've come to this particular part of Ukraine

because the European Union have come out and said

very openly recently that this is a new hotspot,

it's a new entry to smuggle cocaine into Europe

and, effectively, the UK.

It's a big statement and I've come to see what it's all about.

Odessa lies on the Black Sea on Ukraine's southern coast.

My first stop is the port.

As the largest in the country,

and one of the busiest in Eastern Europe,

Odessa port is Ukraine's front line in the war against international drug trafficking.

In recent years cartels have been smuggling

cocaine from South America to Western Europe through this port.

I want to know why they have been taking this 2,000-mile detour.

I'm heading into the port now to find out more about these

cocaine seizures here in Odessa and I've arranged to speak

to somebody who works with the Intelligence Service and

he himself was actually personally involved in one of the bigger busts.

He's still a serving agent, however,

so we're under strict instructions to disguise his face.

First up, the agent shows me extraordinary footage,

shot by his team in 2010, of a huge cocaine seizure.

There's just stacks and stacks and stacks of packed cocaine.

1.2 tonnes was found hidden inside a shipment of industrial furnaces,

the largest ever cocaine haul in Eastern Europe.

They're very clever, aren't they? They think of anything,

they think of things that the normal person would never even imagine.

I mean, having a look at this just gives you an idea

of the lengths that these guys have gone to to try and hide this cocaine.

Where do you think it was heading?

The agent takes me to the spot where he discovered the cocaine.

What was the street value of that single seizure that you got?

Wow! 180 million US dollars.

-That's about 120 million sterling...

-Yes.

-..worth of cocaine.

-Yes.

-Coming to your port.

-Yes.

It's absolutely amazing to think that they were able to seize

over a tonne of cocaine in one swoop.

If you think that it's estimated that over 30 tonnes come into the UK

every year, that gives you an idea of just how huge a deal this was.

And he went to say, you know, if you took all the cocaine out

of the furnaces and stacked the packages one on top of the other,

it would fill about a third of one of these massive containers.

It's huge.

As smugglers use cargos of all shapes and sizes,

for the port it's a constant battle against drug trafficking.

I've been working in customs since 2003.

Customs officer Artem reveals that drugs are hidden in the most unlikely places.

There were pineapples which were

filled in with cocaine parcels.

With a mock up, he shows me how the drugs were hidden.

And that looks like a pretty standard pineapple to me.

Where was the cocaine exactly?

The pineapple was cut apart.

The pineapple was excavated and the parcel of drugs was put in.

-That's incredible. Can I see?

-Yes.

I wouldn't in a million years think that that looks suspicious at all.

All you have to do is take it apart

and there was loads of cocaine stuffed in these pineapples.

It's so clever, so resourceful.

Artem's colleagues detected the drugs, after the cargo

was put through an X-ray scanning machine.

It shows very, very clearly

there's sort of two green blobs, if you like.

That suggests that there's something in there that you would need

to have a look at if you work in customs.

This is your first seizure of cocaine.

I've found my first seizure.

-You've can work as customs officer.

-Oh, I dunno.

What I do want to know is how often containers are inspected closely.

According to our statistics we check up to 5% with scan

and physical examination.

Lots of people under 5% will sound like an incredibly low percentage.

I don't think so because it is an international practice up to 5%

because we use the system always.

It's fair to say then around 95% of shipping containers that

come into Odessa port are not physically checked or scanned?

-Only in Odessa port.

-In Odessa port, exactly.

They may be checked in the whole territory of Ukraine.

But your responsibility is Odessa port, isn't it? Yes.

Yep. OK.

The EU have said that Odessa is a new entry point for cocaine

coming in to Western Europe. Do you agree with that?

I can tell you that they wanted to try this route

but they will stop here.

So you believe that no cocaine is getting through Odessa's port?

To my professional opinion, I think we are ready to detect.

I'm surprised by Artem's confidence.

-Thank you. Thank you, sir.

-Bye.

-Thank you.

Although the EU have poured tens of millions of pounds

into beefing up border checks around Odessa port,

roughly 95,000 out of the 100,000 containers arriving in 2012

were not inspected closely.

What's more, I then discover the port could be facing

an even bigger problem.

A bit of a weird situation going on at the minute.

Somebody who actually works here at the port

has said that he wants to speak to us about the corruption that's going on here.

He can't talk now, can't speak here but we've swapped numbers

and it's very interesting to follow that through.

I arrange to talk to this man that night.

Worried about losing his job, he asks us to disguise his identity.

He tells me about his experiences of clearing cargos through customs.

-TRANSLATION:

-Of course, corruption exists in the port.

Even if the cargo is completely legitimate,

you won't get through customs without hand-outs.

It's called gratitude.

And does this always go on or does it happen every now and then?

It's very typical.

Everyone gives them money, otherwise your next cargo won't get through.

And if the corruption is as rife as you're sat here saying it is,

how come you haven't got involved?

Not involved? We all give hand-outs.

I'm not even angry at those customs officers

because they have to pass on the money to people above them.

You yourself have paid customs officials in the past?

I think you know the answer to that question.

He then reveals some important information about one

of the scanning machines at the port.

-TRANSLATION:

-Around six months ago, there was a traffic accident

at the port involving the scanner.

Since then, it hasn't been working.

And so are you saying that one of the scanners sat in the port

is not actually working as it hasn't been for five/six months?

Yes, exactly.

But I don't think it's a barrier to people importing illegal goods to Ukraine.

Even when the scanner was working, it wasn't a big problem for them

because their containers wouldn't be scanned.

The thing that struck me the most was when he was saying

that it's just common standard practice to have to pay to get your cargo through.

Obviously that is not how a legitimate port is supposed to be run.

To me, that's utterly mad. I find that...

.astonishing.

The port authorities deny bribery goes on

and say cargos are physically examined

if the scanners are not working.

After only a few days here, I've already got a sense

of how easily drugs can get into Ukraine.

As well as cocaine from South America,

heroin from Afghanistan, in the east, has also been trafficked

to Ukraine's Black Sea coast.

But then I witness something near the port, which makes me want

to find out what happens to these drugs once they're here.

I've just come walking round the corner, I was about to hop

in the crew car

and the driver said that he saw

a guy jump off the bridge,

just behind us.

He said, you know, he hit the ground, he's obviously dead

and he says that the body was on the ground,

there was like a doctor/paramedic type person

and a few policemen hovering around.

He saw the paramedic take a plastic bag

with like a browny substance in that bag and say to the police,

"Drugs".

He absolutely heard that.

To learn more about these drugs,

I approach the police with my Ukrainian translator.

He's asking where we are from. I'm from the BBC in London.

BBC, London.

What's he saying, Alessa?

-He says, "No comments. Get out of here."

-Get out of here, that's nice.

Were there any drugs found on this man?

The police are unwilling to answer any questions.

But I'm keen to know if the drugs trafficked into Ukraine

are behind incidents like the one I witnessed.

I want to find out a bit more about the types of drugs

that some people are using here in Ukraine.

I've arranged to meet a lady who works with a charity

and it's an organisation who works alongside drug addicts.

Hello. Inna? How do you do?

I'm Stacey. Nice to meet you.

This is us today, are we going in?

Inna tells me that cocaine and heroin are just too pricey for most Ukrainian drug users.

She believes this helps push some users here towards cheaper alternatives.

And what type of drugs are these people that you're working with, what are they taking?

Boltushka is a dangerous chemical cocktail,

made from prescription drugs and household products.

So it's home-made?

I want to know what taking these kinds of home-made drugs

can do to addicts, so Inna takes me to where some live.

It's this way?

In a basement, under a block of flats.

And it smells really...

God, this is grim.

God, I'm petrified.

STACEY COUGHS

We're underground, it's not safe...

There's poo and flies everywhere.

This is shocking.

And water comes down, is that...

The toilet's flushed and loads of water's just come down

so they've got to deal with that as well.

This is not fun!

This is the bedroom.

This is astonishing.

I mean, I don't mean to state the obvious

but it's just the most disgusting, minging, rancid place

I've seen in a really, really long time.

It's a really sad scene.

You know, as if being addicted to a dirty, cheap, nasty...

drug isn't horrifying enough,

they've got these other factors to contend with.

Oh...!

Oh!

There is no-one in the basement, so Inna takes me to a roundabout,

where a group of former drug users are living.

Hi!

I'm Stacey.

-Natasha.

-Natasha.

Nice to meet you all. This here is for you.

Everyone here has abused home-made drugs heavily.

And what drugs do you take, Natasha?

How much does heroin cost in Ukraine

and how much does the cheap alternative drug cost?

With a batch of boltuskha costing around £5,

compared to about 65 for heroin,

I can see the appeal of home-made drugs for some addicts

in a poor country like Ukraine.

But there's a higher price to pay for these young people.

Has it always been you guys as a unit or there have been other

people that have stayed with you?

And describe to me, Natasha, what runs through your mind

when people that you used to live on the streets with

and take drugs with, when they die, is it a wake-up call?

Boltuskha attacks the nervous system

and is highly damaging,

both mentally and physically.

And you boys, you all took the same drug as Natasha?

And what were the side effects for you?

And you're able to walk?

And before you started taking this cheaper drug,

you were able to walk perfectly normal?

Did this happen gradually, or did he wake up one morning

and he couldn't use his arms and legs?

It's really, really shocking stuff to see people in their late teens

and mid-20s...

..living like that.

People sell heroin in the UK and they live in horrific

environments and their lives are ruined

and these people, I think, it's a next level down,

if that's the right way to phrase it.

I think these guys were only taking that cheap alternative

for a couple of years and they started to lose the use of their limbs,

they started to be partly paralysed,

they've lost the ability to hold a conversation and...

It's almost like they're not here, everything's in slow motion. It's...

It's mad, it's...

It's a shit situation.

If Ukrainians are not taking the cocaine and heroin coming into their country...

..I want to know where these drugs are going next.

To try to find out, I'm going to meet a man from the Ukrainian criminal underworld.

Right now, I'm on my way to meet a chap who says

he used to be involved with drug trafficking here in Ukraine.

He's agreed to have a chat with me but he's adamant that he doesn't want his face shown.

It'll be interesting, actually, because so far I've spoken to people on the other sides,

so the custom officials, the people in uniform,

whose job it is to try to get on top of this.

To hear it from the other side, I'm looking forward to that.

I've been told he was a drug smuggler for several years.

To avoid attention, he requests we meet in a secluded area.

I didn't really anticipate this but, I think, he's here.

There he is.

Hello.

Listen, thanks for agreeing to speak to me,

I really, really appreciate it. Thank you.

What kind of drugs were you involved in smuggling in?

Cocaine. What amounts are we talking, huge amounts?

What did your job exactly involve?

So it would be your job to go and collect the drugs from customs,

drive it to another border,

so it could then presumably go into Western Europe. Was that the idea?

How difficult is it to smuggle cocaine from Ukraine into Europe?

And is that what you used to do on a regular basis?

He tells me one trafficking route he used out of Ukraine

was across the border into a place called Transnistria.

And why would you smuggle cocaine through Transnistria?

Perhaps one of the most shocking things he said was, you know,

as long as you've got enough money, you can pretty much do

what you have to do, you can do as you please,

you can bribe the officials and bribe the people that are supposed to be patrolling the border.

They'll often turn a blind eye and you can get on with your business.

He said that's how Ukraine works, that's how it goes on here,

and there's lots of different routes to use to smuggle the cocaine into Europe.

One route that he used was Transnistria.

I don't know anything about this place so I'm definitely keen to find out a lot more.

I want to see what security is like on this border,

so I follow the road out of Odessa towards Transnistria.

The same route the ex-smuggler said he used

to get cocaine out of Ukraine.

After less than two hours drive, I arrive at a village,

right on the edge of Ukraine.

From here it's just over 100 miles through Transnistria

to the European Union.

I've been told that this place does have a reputation for smuggling.

I'm desperate to have a chat with the people floating around.

There's only a few, but I'd love to see what they've got to say.

I approach the first young girl I see in the street.

So are you aware of any smuggling that goes on here?

OK...

And were these guys from this village, outside of this village.

And do you know if they were ever smuggling cocaine,

or heroin or any other drugs?

The first person I approached, she was really open.

She was completely fine with talking about it.

I think her kind of trail of thought was that everyone round here knows about it, everyone knows it goes on.

Yeah, she knows it goes on for sure.

To understand why Ukraine's border with Transnistria is seen as attractive to smugglers,

I arrange to meet a journalist.

Hello.

-Hello, Sasha? How's things? I'm Stacey.

-Hi, nice to meet you.

-Very pleased to meet you. Thank you so much for agreeing to take me to this border.

-Yeah.

Sasha's been covering this region for seven years.

Sasha, so tell me a bit about Transnistria.

I've never heard of this place.

It used to be part of Moldova and they broke away

and they are just not recognised by any country in the world.

It's like a non-existing state.

-That's quite a unique position to be in.

-It is.

Do the officials in Transnistria talk to the officials in Ukraine and Moldova?

Not really.

It's vital, surely, for neighbouring countries,

and neighbouring borders, to be in constant contact with one another,

to try and keep on top of smuggling.

True, but that's not the case here, unfortunately.

And what does that mean for a place like this?

It has this charm of being

a paradise for smugglers.

It has even this term, "Black Hole".

-People refer to it as the Black Hole?

-Yeah.

Sasha tells me the European Union has helped Ukraine beef up security

on this part of its border, although we see no sign of patrols.

So we're stood on the very, very edge of Ukraine.

I mean, I feel confident that I could just walk across to Transnistria now.

I'd fancy my chances.

Transnistria is not the only route

for smuggling cocaine and heroin out of Ukraine into the rest of Europe.

Ukraine also has roughly 700 miles of direct border

with four different European Union countries.

This huge distance offers lots of possible routes for traffickers.

I'm heading to the part of the border that Ukraine shares with Poland.

I'm going to be spending some time at one of the main crossing points there

and I'm really curious, actually, to see what security's like

up there because this is a direct border into the European Union.

My journey will take me around 500 miles inland.

I arrive at one of the busiest checkpoints in Ukraine.

Here alone, up to 2,000 vehicles a day cross into the European Union.

Before I'm shown around, I get quite a reception from the officials.

My name's Stacey and I'm making a documentary for BBC Three.

With so many security agencies here,

I want to know about the drugs they have seized leaving Ukraine.

Have you ever caught cocaine or heroin

travelling across the border on its way into Poland?

Is that a concern for you, given how many thousands

and thousands of vehicles are crossing this border?

I don't know if that means it's certainly not going through.

It might mean that they've just been able to get past

two hurdles instead of one.

100% guarantee that no drugs, no cocaine or no heroin,

has ever passed this crossing point. Seriously?

You know, drugs are smuggled across borders internationally

all the time, and a lot of the drugs, they make it over

successfully, so with all that said, I do find it quite surprising

that the guys sat in there can be so confident and so categoric.

What makes this so unique and different?

I wonder if the checkpoint uses

some particularly hi tech search methods.

I'm invited to see things in action.

So the basic idea, if I'm understanding correctly,

is when there's ever loads and loads of bags,

they'll stick this tool in and the idea is that it's got

a couple of holes going through it,

and all these holes should look black,

cos this is all coal.

So if they pull it out and there's a white substance

or a different colour, alarm bells will start ringing.

They find nothing illegal in this truck.

The official also tells me that most trucks he searches

are unlikely to be trafficking drugs,

because they use the border crossing regularly.

Just playing devil's advocate, drug dealers will target people

who they know make a journey fairly frequently.

Lots of people don't necessarily look at them

as being as suspicious as others.

Just wondering what you thought about that?

The majority of the vehicles crossing here

are given a basic visual check.

But some get a more detailed inspection.

And Natalya, will you show me a more thorough inspection now,

-can I see a deeper inspection?

-Yes, of course.

This car has been pulled out from the traffic jam

because they have reason.

Customs officers and guards want to check this certain car deeper.

I ask how often vehicles are given this more thorough inspection.

For example, yesterday, 2,652 vehicles leaving the country

and entering the country.

-Right, and out of them, how many were searched in this manner?

-38.

OK, so you deep searched just over 1% of the cars.

Tomorrow it can be 50%.

Yesterday it happened that it was 1%.

50% is probably unrealistic, because 1%-50% is a big jump.

Maybe 2%, 3%.

It depends.

And have you got any statistics that we can have a look at

to show the amount of vehicles that have passed through here

and how many have been deeper inspected?

-I don't have such numbers.

-Do they exist?

I don't know. My commanders can be asked.

I don't think, because we focus on results.

But you haven't had any results. That's the problem, isn't it?

You haven't found any cocaine or any heroin.

Each of these guys who are car searching are trying to find it.

Yeah, but...

It may be fortunately that people don't transport

narcotics through the Ukrainian border.

That is why we didn't find anything. It's quite possible.

Well, maybe you aren't finding them because of your tactics.

Maybe. Maybe our tactics is not excellent.

Maybe you will advise us something.

It's not my job to advise you.

Thank you.

Nothing illegal is found in this vehicle

and the women are free to go.

They sort of really tried to hammer the point home for me

that they're doing a great, thorough job

and they just don't believe coke and heroin is an issue here.

Given that there are thousands of vehicles

going through this crossing point every day,

I'd quite fancy my chances if I knew that there was 98-99% chance

that I wasn't going to have my vehicle thoroughly searched.

Cocaine and heroin are not the only narcotics

spreading west out of Ukraine.

I'm heading to the capital Kiev to investigate a horrific new drug

which I've heard has also reached Western Europe.

OK, so I'm here outside a charity.

I'm going to spend some time with them.

It's their job to help people

who are taking a dangerous new drug here,

and apparently it's been reported that this same drug has been found

across the border in Western Europe.

So it'll be interesting.

Jena and Elena set up this charity in 2010,

when they discovered this new drug, called Crocodile,

was killing users at an alarming rate.

So this is the leaflet that you give out, right?

And why is this drug called crocodile?

And if someone becomes very addicted to crocodile very quickly,

how long realistically can they expect to live?

Is that right?

Where I'm from, crocodile is almost unheard of.

Elena tells me two British policewomen recently visited her

to talk about crocodile.

These two police ladies came from England

and came and spoke to you personally?

And what was your advice?

The fact that they've had two British cops

sat in that same room asking them about crocodile

and trying to get advice is utterly astonishing.

The only reason I'm familiar with crocodile is because

I'm here in Ukraine looking at it.

If I'd have spoken to people at home about it or tried to meet

people who had taken it in England, I think I'd struggle.

But it obviously does exist, else they wouldn't have been there.

It's alarming. It's a crazy thought.

I want to find out more about the effects of this drug,

which British police are worried has now reached the UK.

I follow Jena and Elena

as they visit some regular users, Igor and Sasha.

Igor, how old are you?

-Ten plus ten plus ten.

-30?

-Yeah.

How long have you taken crocodile?

Crocodile? Two years.

Crocodile, two years.

Tell me what you know about crocodile, the dangers.

So you know that the life expectancy for a crocodile user is very short.

Yes, I know.

If you don't stop using crocodile, what do you think will happen?

I will die.

Does that not make you sad?

-No.

-Why?

-Because.

-HE LAUGHS

You're not scared to die?

No.

Igor and Sasha start making a batch of crocodile.

How did you learn to make it?

The street, on the street.

-The street.

-Yes.

-Is that to unblock toilets?

-Yes.

And so Igor's just telling me that bleach and petrol are used

as parts of the process to make the crocodile,

which is quite a grim thought, no?

It's... shocking.

These chemicals are mixed with tablets, bought in the chemist.

We've had to put masks on because the smell can be quite dangerous

and it's really massively overwhelming.

But Igor doesn't want to wear one because he says he's used to it.

It's quite grim now.

The further on the process goes,

the stronger the smell actually gets, it's massively overwhelming.

I can't begin to tell you how offensive it is.

Oh, it smells, man.

That's strong. Oof!

I mean, the longer we spend in here,

the more grim it becomes, to be honest.

The smell is massively unbearable.

Their abscesses, Igor has one on his back,

they keep bleeding and pussing, so they're in pain.

Five months maximum? To live?

Five, six months and dead.

I'm OK.

It's just sad, isn't it? No, I'm OK.

They are going to...

They're going to inject?

Yes. We're going to inject.

The end product is a highly toxic cocktail,

which slowly rots human flesh and bone.

The high is a sedative effect like heroin,

but it lasts for a much shorter time.

Just genuinely, truly...

..one of the most horrific things I've ever witnessed.

You know, they give Igor

five or six months left before he's dead.

His abscesses are bleeding and pussing constantly...

..and then he just goes and, like, shoots up.

Young lads are taking crocodile,

a cheap, dirty, nasty drug...

..as an alternative...

..and dying.

SHE SNIFFS

I've seen how Ukraine has problems with lethal home-made drugs,

and as a smuggling route for cocaine and heroin

heading to Western Europe.

When I look into whether locals are pressuring the government

to sort these things out,

I discover some are resorting to extraordinary methods.

I've heard there's a protest going on today here in Kiev.

Apparently these aren't your typical protesters.

They shout quite a lot about corruption and the drug problems

that happen here, so I'm going to go and meet them.

Hello. How are you? What's your name?

Brilliant, I'm going to follow you.

Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers are a group of activists

who campaign about big issues in Ukraine

by pulling stunts on the authorities.

Darth? Darth?

I'm chasing Darth Vader. Another day at the office.

So it's actually becoming a little bit tricky

trying to have a conversation with Darth.

I think he's obviously the man in charge,

but he takes his role very seriously.

The group may not look serious, but their aims certainly are.

Today, they are delivering a letter to the government,

complaining about the failure to deal with drug problems.

So we're approaching a very official looking building.

There's loads of police up here,

so it will be interesting to see how they welcome Darth.

Someone's coming through now, I don't know who this is.

After hearing Darth's list of complaints,

the official takes the letter.

I'm from the BBC. Can you just tell me whether or not

that will be delivered to the prime minister, that letter?

Sorry, but we are not commenting.

-No comment at all?

-That's all.

-OK. Thank you.

-Goodbye.

I manage to speak to Darth Vader,

although he refuses to reveal his identity.

He says he does not want it to become known to the authorities.

And ultimately, what do you hope to achieve?

What do you want to happen because you're out doing this?

And why all the get-up? Why are you dressed as Darth Vader?

Would people take you more seriously if you were just your standard self?

Nice to meet you, Darth.

Good luck.

Bye, Darth!

Bye!

I mean, it is a concern that there are only about 15 of them

who are out trying to make a real difference

when it comes to such a serious issue.

I mean, obviously, he's slightly loopy in the sense that

he genuinely believes he's Darth Vader, but you know what?

He's passionate and you know, they're young lads

that are fed up of all the drugs problems they've got going on,

so at least they're trying to do something.

It's clear that lots of Ukrainians just don't have faith

in their government to sort out any problems, drugs included.

To get to the bottom of why this is,

I arrange to meet a former drug enforcement officer.

-Hello, Pavlo?

-Hi.

-How's things? I'm Stacey.

-I'm glad to see you.

Nice to meet you. This is you?

-Yeah.

-Spot on. Thank you.

After 12 years in the police,

Pavlo now works for a charity as a drugs policy expert.

How effective are the police

at tackling this drug issue here in Ukraine?

I would say they're totally ineffective,

and unfortunately, in my country,

about 60 or 70% of the population - they don't trust the police.

Especially because the police are the main source

of human rights violations.

They're corrupted, they don't obey the law.

That's an insane thought, surely, that the very people

who you're supposed to trust...

Most people are afraid of the police.

It was one of the reasons why I left the police service in 2004,

because it was impossible to work in this criminal system, you know?

The police became even bigger criminals than organised crime.

As an example, Pavlo takes me to a police station

recently hit by scandal.

So now we approach the district police station.

This station became one of the famous in Kiev last year

when the security service arrested a whole drug enforcement unit

in this police station.

They were arrested for arranging drug trafficking in Kiev city.

This drug enforcement unit was considered one of the best

police drug enforcement units in Kiev city.

So where were they supposed to be keeping all these drugs?

In the police station, in the garage boxes and inside the offices.

It sounds like it's fictional.

I can't believe that police officers were behaving in such a way.

Yes, it's unbelievable,

and it's a reality here in Ukraine, unfortunately.

As yet, no trial date has been set for these policemen,

who deny the charges.

I mean, I've been here looking at the international drug trafficking,

and it just strikes me talking to you that some people

may think it's hugely unlikely that anyone of authority here in Ukraine

is going to be able to seriously tackle such an issue.

Unfortunately, you are right, because we have corruption

in all levels of government in Ukraine,

from the ground level to the high level.

Is anything being done by anyone?

There are lots of really good police officers

and we have some real cases of international police operations

with lots of drug seizures

somewhere in the sea port or on the border.

But it's just only, like...

A drop in the ocean?

Yeah, a drop in the... yeah, really, you are correct.

And it's not solving the issue.

Everything Pavlo told me just completely blew me away.

He said that he believes that police are often at the heart

of these massive drug problems here.

They're not just dabbling or taking an opportunity here or there,

they're in charge, they're the biggest players,

they're all over the scene.

During my trip to Ukraine, Pavlo is not the only person

to link corrupt officials with the country's different drug problems.

So I want to speak to the people who are supposed to be sorting out

this massive corruption issue.

So many people have mentioned that corruption is at the heart

of all the drug dealing and all the drug trafficking that goes on here,

so I'm going to speak to somebody

from the security services' anti-corruption unit

and just try and find out why he thinks it hasn't been dealt with.

Thank you. Hello.

How do you do? Stacey.

Bogdan Sokrut works closely with the chief of this anti-corruption

and organised crime unit.

Corruption is widely documented to be

a very, very serious problem here.

I spoke to a guy who worked at the Odessa port and he told me

that it's just standard to have to bribe people

to ensure that your cargo goes through.

How do you respond to that?

It's your job to try and end corruption.

How do you plan on doing that?

But no-one's suggesting that it's something

that can be mended or fixed quickly.

Evidently, the way you're trying to tackle corruption now

isn't working, is it?

Do you believe that the border controls

and all the things that they have in place in Odessa are good enough?

There's got to be some reason that certain cartels

from South America are taking this massive detour

past Western Europe where they want the drugs to get into

to come in through Ukraine.

No seizures doesn't mean no drugs, though, does it?

It doesn't, does it?

That's a very...

Very optimistic!

Probably a bit unrealistic, but very optimistic.

I've met lots of optimistic officials during my time in Ukraine.

But with my visit nearly over,

I can't understand how they can be so certain that Ukraine is

winning its war against international drug trafficking.

I think you have to be fair and point out that, you know,

Ukraine isn't the only country in Eastern Europe

that's being used as a transit country

to get drugs into Western Europe,

but I've been up and down the country, and I've got to say,

I understand completely why some people describe Ukraine

as a perfect transit country.

Geographically, it's perfect for smugglers.

This country shares its border with countries

that are part of the European Union.

The level of corruption is staggering,

people of authority abusing their position.

I think it's a given that unless things change here,

we can expect to see Ukraine being used as a transit country

to get drugs, dangerous, serious drugs,

into the UK for a very long time.

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