Russia dismantles synthetic drug trafficking channel to Kyrgyzstan

Russian customs officers have broken up a suspected channel for smuggling synthetic drugs to Kyrgyzstan, seizing more than 3 kilograms of a substance with an estimated black-market value of over 15 million rubles.

During an operation in Moscow Oblast, officers stopped a vehicle and found three transparent bags containing powder. Authorities identified the substance as alpha-PVP, a synthetic drug. They said a 30-year-old Russian national, allegedly a member of an organized criminal group, had concealed the shipment and passed it to a courier disguised as a legitimate-goods delivery to Kyrgyzstan.

The suspected sender was detained. Officers also seized more than 700 grams of other synthetic drugs allegedly intended for illegal distribution. A second alleged member of the group, who was expected to receive the shipment, was detained in Bishkek.

The Russian Federal Customs Service said Russia opened a criminal case against the sender for smuggling narcotic drugs by an organized group on an especially large scale. The offense carries a penalty of up to life imprisonment. The operation involved Russia’s customs authorities, Kyrgyzstan’s State Customs Service and the Kyrgyz Ministry of Internal Affairs. The investigation remains ongoing.