UKRAINIAN POPPY LLC, the leading producer of edible poppy seeds in Ukraine, has fallen victim to corruption schemes by law enforcement officers. The company has come under pressure from the National Police, which has demanded that farmers provide a "permit to use facilities and premises." The problem is that such a document does not exist in the legislation.
The only condition for "obtaining" it was cooperation with the security police. Refusal of such a "service" led to the opening of criminal proceedings against the enterprise.
In 2024–2025, arrests were imposed on dozens of hectares of poppy fields. The most high-profile case occurred in Cherkasy region: 61 million poppy plants were arrested near Chyhyryn as “material evidence.” According to documents, they were under police protection, but later disappeared without a trace. By the time the case was transferred to court, sunflowers were already growing on the site of the arrested crop.
Despite the pressure, all inspections by the State Medical Service confirmed that the enterprise did not violate the license conditions. However, the police and prosecutor's office continued to seize the crops, using them as a tool of blackmail.
The scandal has gained international resonance. The Czech Poppy Producers Association has appealed to the European Union with a statement about the illegal criminal prosecution of the Ukrainian company and the threat of disruption of international scientific cooperation.
This case has become a symbol of a deep problem: the law in Ukraine is often used not to protect citizens and businesses, but as a tool of pressure and enrichment. And while Ukrainian soldiers give their lives on the front lines, entrepreneurs in the rear are forced to fight "racketeering in epaulettes.".
