FCS Russia said that North-West Operational Customs officers dismantled an A-PVP (“bath salts”) drug laboratory in Leningrad Region.
Raw materials seized could have yielded about 200 kg of narcotics, valued on the black market at roughly RUB 400 million.
Investigators found that a consolidated shipment from East Asia contained precursors for synthetic drugs. Two men with prior convictions for drug distribution were detained.
They intended to move the cargo to garages fitted out as labs and distribute finished product via dead drops. Officers found a reactor, flasks, protective clothing, thermometers, refrigeration units and other equipment.
A criminal case was opened under Article 229.1(4)(b) of the Criminal Code, punishable by up to 20 years’ imprisonment with a fine of up to RUB 1 million or life imprisonment.
