Where kratom is illegal, criminals profit — and marketing even reaches schools.
The family of a city official in Rivne, Ukraine, is being charged with trafficking over 10 tons of kratom in schools across the country. Liana Dynovska and her son, two daughters, and son-in-law have allegedly been involved in the scheme. In total, a group of 29 people were found distributing kratom nationwide, including five minors among those involved in sales.
The operation allegedly involved packaging and dispersal from a “mini-factory” situated in a residence, from which the substance was funneled into student social circles, Telegram channels, and school settings.
Before this scandal, Dynovska had held a role in a police certification commission, where she is said to have lobbied for the dismissal of law enforcement officers deemed “unreliable.” Her subsequent appointment in 2024 as director of the Rivne City Social Services Center provoked public outcry amid allegations of conflict of interest and opaque appointment processes. Critics point out that the same channels once used to influence police oversight may have later shielded her family’s unlawful operations.
The family was discovered by a large-scale operation by police in Ternopil.
On November 15, 2024 the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted Resolution No. 1306, which amended the List of Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursors to include “leaves (whole or chopped) of Mitragyna speciosa” and the alkaloid “mitragynine”. Following that change the sale of kratom and kratom-based products was banned in Ukraine. Previously, kratom products were available online and in shops.
In contrast, Czech Republic has implemented regulatory measures to address an unregulated market where minors could access kratom from vending machines.. After a push from National Drug Policy Coordinator Jindrich Voboril, as well as the European Kratom Alliance (EKA), the Czecho-Slovak Kratom Association (CSKA), and the Pirate Party (a progressive political party), the Czech government designated kratom as a “psychomodular substance”. On October 9, 2024, the Senate passed a bill that would amend the Act on Addictive Substances to regulate sales of kratom and similar substances. The bill proposed that starting December 2024 the sale of psychomodulatory substances such as kratom would only be allowed to adults in specialized stores, with bans on vending machines, stricter online age verification, and product packaging that does not appeal to children. Under the new rules, online sales and distance sales would still be possible but only with rigorous age verification, and products would require licensing for distribution and sale.
Although the legislative changes in Czech Republic took effect in late 2024, full implementation and regulatory enforcement are phased. The regulatory approach reflects a harm-reduction philosophy: rather than prohibiting kratom entirely, Czech policy aims to control its availability, quality and marketing, especially to protect minors and reduce unregulated risk.