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Belarus, Russia make huge joint drug bust, over 600 kg of narcotic 4-SMS seized

As a result of the operation, citizens of Lithuania, Belarus, Russia and Ukraine involved in the crime were identified and detained

MINSK, August 28. /TASS/. Customs officers from Belarus and Russia, together with the FSB, have seized more than 637 kg of a particularly dangerous psychotropic substance originating from the European Union, the State Customs Committee of Belarus announced.

"The customs authorities of Belarus have stopped an international smuggling ring from the European Union to the territory of the Russian Federation of more than 637 kg of highly dangerous psychotropic substance 4-SMS. Given that the truck was traveling further to the Russian Federation, an international operation was conducted to identify all actors in the criminal scheme together with the Federal Customs Service of Russia," it said in a statement.

As a result of the operation, citizens of Lithuania, Belarus, Russia and Ukraine involved in the crime were identified and detained. At the Grigorovshchina checkpoint on the Belarusian-Latvian border, 540 one and 1.5-kilogram packages of especially dangerous psychotropic substances were taken from the vehicle the perpetrators were transporting the goods in.

"During operational search measures and urgent investigative actions, Russian customs officers, in cooperation with the FSB of Russia, detained the recipients of the large batch of psychotropic substances - citizens of Ukraine," the report says. As a result, another 162 kg of various drugs and psychotropic substances were found hidden on the premises of a private household and in the forests of the Moscow Region.

The members of the criminal group face up to 20 years in prison.

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