Chelyabinsk customs officers stopped smuggling contraband of poppy straw

Operatives of the Chelyabinsk customs together with employees of FSB of Russia and the Border Department of the FSB of Russia in the Chelyabinsk region detained 53 kg of poppy straws. The attackers were carrying goods under the guise of food poppy.

A rail wagon with 65 tons of poppy were revealed at the checkpoint “Kartaly” EN route to the Republic of Kazakhstan. Customs inspection showed that the car was 2600 bags of poppy seeds 25 kg each.

The product was shipped from Riga to Kostanay in the address of the organization in wholesale trade in food products and in the documents indicated as a food.

Examination showed that poppy seeds as impurities contain poppy straw. “The poppy for food use is not a narcotic substance and does not contain any impurities, – comments Evgeniy Melekhov, Deputy head of the Chelyabinsk customs. – However, all detainees have bags of poppy straw – narcotic drug, prohibited for circulation in the Russian Federation”.

The estimated total weight of narcotic substances was 53 kg, and is about 100 000 doses worth over 250 million rubles.

A criminal case under part 3 of the article 229.1 of the criminal code “Contraband of narcotic substances in large amount”. The sanction of article provides imprisonment for the term up to 20 years.

The investigation is underway.

Natalia Starikova, press Secretary of the Chelyabinsk customs