Briefing of Central Criminal Police Department Director-Mamuka Chelidze
Ministry of Internal Affairs continues uncompromised fight against drug crime, including online drug dealing.
The officers of the Central Criminal Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have exposed an unprecedented large-scale scheme for illegal production-purchase-keeping and realization of drugs. Members of the organized criminal group operating in Georgia are detained, including one Georgian and 5 foreign citizens and one person exposed.
Officers of the Main Division for the Fight against Illegal Drug Circulation under the Central Criminal Police Department, as a result of the intensive and complex search and investigative activities held in Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi on the basis of operative information, detained the following persons: Georgian citizen G.R. (DoB 1985), Russian citizen R.I. (DoB 1988), Ukrainian citizen N.K. (DoB 1994), three citizen of Kirgizia –U.Sh. (DoB 1997) S.B. 1992) and D.K. (DoB 2000), while the citizen of Kazakhstan – Kh. T. (DoB 1974) was charged.
As a result of the personal search as well as searching activities held in permanent and temporary places of residence and caches in various locations, law enforcers seized up to 21 kg and 10 liters of drug substance “Alfa-PVP”. The estimated cost of the seized drug substance amounts to 6 million GEL on the black market.
Herewith, police also seized laboratory appliances as evidences and various chemical substances in Tbilisi and Batumi used for drug manufacturing.
Within the frames of the investigation and on the bases of the court decision, police covertly conducted video-audio recording of illegal activities perpetrated by the mentioned persons.
Investigation established that international organized group of drug dealers was manufacturing, purchasing, keeping and selling drugs in Armenia, Kirgizia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Georgia, namely in Tbilisi and Kutaisi by means of the groups created via internet application “Telegram”.
Regional manager of the mentioned organized criminal group - Ukrainian citizen N.K. was responsible for the selection of relevant team members, who were transported to Georgia and coordinated by him.
Investigation also established that, citizen of Kirgizia - D.K. and Georgian citizen G.R. were manufacturing drug substance “Alfa-PVP” by mixing various chemicals and precursors in specially arranged micro-labs located in Tbilisi, Africa settlement and Batumi on Leonidze Street. Drugs were transferred to easily accessible places for further packaging. They directly contacted the leadership for sending location details and photos of caches and the manufactured drugs.
Chemical substance needed for drug manufacturing were sent on the address of the fictional firm, registered on the name of the Russian citizen R.I. which were later delivered by him to places, easily accessible for persons employed at the drug laboratory. He had direct contact with his leadership to whom location details and photos of caches of the manufactured drugs were sent.
Investigation has also found out that the citizen of Kazakhstan Kh. T. was receiving drugs manufactured and delivered to various caches by the citizen of Kirgizia D.K. which were later packed and delivered to various addresses by the couriers employed in the criminal organization.
Citizens of Kirgizia - U.Sh. and A.B. removed the delivered “Alfa-PVP” drugs from the caches (previously allocated by Kh.T.),which were packed in various quantities and sent to other places, easily accessible for the clients.
All defendants were using VIPole internet application for the communication, by means of which they were in direct contact with leadership and regional managers in Georgia as well.
On the fact of illegal manufacturing, purchase-keeping and drug dealing held by the organized group as well as on the fact of the attempted drug dealing, investigation is in progress under the article 260, I and III parts, sub-paragraph “A” and part VI of the same article, sub-paragraph “B”, article 19-260, part IV, article 19-260, part VI, sub-paragraph “B” and article 266, I part envisaged by the Criminal Code of Georgia.
