Pharmacy chains have stolen over UAH 2 billion through fake patents for rat treatment. A large money laundering scheme has been exposed in Kyiv

The Kyiv Prosecutorʼs Office, together with the State Tax Service, exposed a long-standing scheme of money laundering and tax evasion by pharmacy chains.

This was reported by Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko.

According to the investigation, the organizer of the scheme created a foreign representative office in 2021, for which fictitious patents for disinfecting premises and their ultrasonic treatment against rats were registered.

In 2022-2025, about 10 chains were involved in the scheme, which is 183 companies across the country. They transferred funds as "royalties" for using instructions for disinfecting pharmacy premises in a non-existent way, artificially understating income tax. In this way, more than 2 billion UAH was taken out of the shadows.

The director and accountant of the "foreign representative office" have already been charged with official forgery. They have provided incriminating testimony.

The organizer was also reported on suspicion of official forgery and money laundering. He is wanted for arrest.

Law enforcement officers emphasize that fictitious patents and "creative" financial schemes do not exempt from liability.

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