MIA of Russia investigators completed criminal investigation against head and 15 participants of international drug syndicate

'The Investigative Department of the Russian MIA have completed the investigation of the criminal case against the head and members of the international criminal community engaged in the illegal production and sale of drugs in the territory of 43 constituent entities of the Russian Federation and one of the neighboring countries.

The operational support of the criminal case was provided by officers of MIA of Russia Main Directorate for Drug Control together with colleagues from the republics of Tatarstan, Mari El, Chuvashia, Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod regions.

According to the investigation, the defendants organized a channel for supplying especially large quantities of drugs and psychotropic substances from CIS countries, Europe and Africa. In addition, the accomplices produced synthetic drugs in two clandestine laboratories in the Moscow Region. They sold the prohibited substances through on-line stores in the so-called shadow segment of the Internet.

The investigation found that this criminal community was established in early 2016 and operated until April 2019. In addition to the organizer, the management team consisted of participants who acted as curators, administrators and operators. The leaders supervised the work of all structural units: the financial and analytical department, the security service, the departments engaged in IT support, transportation, storage, wholesale and delivery of drugs to end-users.

Some of the active participants acted as international, interregional and regional couriers and delivered large batches of drugs and psychotropic substances to warehouses in various regions of Russia. Couriers used forged documents, including the IDs of law enforcement officials, to cover up the illegal activities. They moved in cars with specially equipped caches.

The criminal community was characterized by high level logistics and software and used strict secrecy measures. The sale and distribution of drugs among the participants took place in a non-contact manner through caches and regional warehouses. Coordination was carried out using the so-called Darknet, as well as various messengers. Investigators found that members of the criminal organization had developed an Internet application that allowed to distribute orders and observe secrecy measures.

In October 2018, two laboratories producing banned substances were liquidated by law enforcement officers in the Solnechnogorsky District of the Moscow Region. During the searches, more than 20 kg of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances were seized, as well as at least 1,000 kg of chemical fluids and precursors. According to the expert's conclusion, the defendants could produce more than 30 kg of synthetic drugs from those raw materials.

In total, more than 1,000 kg of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances were seized by law enforcement officers from illegal trafficking in the republics of Tatarstan, Mari El, Chuvashia, as well as the city of Moscow, Moscow and Nizhny Novgorod regions. The leader and 16 active members of the criminal community were detained, and forged documents of law enforcement officers were seized from them. Remand in custody was selected by court as the preventive measure for all the defendants.

During the preliminary investigation, more than 170 forensic examinations were carried out, including chemical, computer, handwriting, fingerprinting and biological examinations. In addition, a forensic analysis was carried out to confirm the leading role of the international criminal community organizer and indict him.

Fifteen members of the community and its leader have been charged with crimes under Articles 210 and 228.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The investigation established their involvement in 20 cases of illegal activities.

Currently, the criminal case with the indictment approved by the prosecutor has been sent to the Moscow Regional Court for consideration on the merits.

Earlier, a separate criminal case against another active participant was singled out. He was sentenced by the Kirovsky District Court of Kazan to 8 years in prison with serving his sentence in a maximum security colony.

The preliminary investigation of the criminal case against other members of the international criminal community continues. Additional episodes of illegal activity are being established,' said the official representative of the MIA of Russia Irina Volk.

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