3 years suspended sentence for the desire to lose weight: Tyumen customs officers detained a parcel of banned drugs

“Magic” slimming pills containing the potent substance “sibutramine” were found by Tyumen customs officers in a parcel from Kazakhstan

Customs officers detained a 39-year-old resident of the town of Lyantor when she received an international mail parcel. The parcel contained almost 800 slimming capsules worth 12 thousand rubles. The examination found that the preparations contained a potent substance – “sibutramine”, with a total mass of 244 grams, which is a large size. These products are prohibited for free sale in Russia

The Tyumen customs officers initiated a criminal case under Part 1, Article 226.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation on the fact of smuggling of a potent substance. The woman pleaded guilty in full and sincerely repented of what she had done. The court sentenced her to 3 years of suspended imprisonment with a probation period of 2 years

Analogical punishment was also incurred by a resident of Khanty-Mansiysk at the end of 2023. In pursuit of weight loss, she ordered 60 blisters with 840 capsules over the Internet. Experts have established the content in the composition of a potent substance – “sibutramine”, with a total mass of 322 grams

The offenders were detained jointly with officers of the Drug Control Department of the Department of Internal Affairs of Russia for Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug – Yugra and officers of the drug smuggling department of Samara Customs. The packages with the prohibited substance are to be destroyed

The Tyumen Customs reminds: before placing an order from another country it is necessary to study the composition of medicines, dietary supplements and familiarize yourself with the rules of movement of such goods on the website of the Federal Customs Service of Russia. Some of them are freely sold abroad, but are prohibited for import into Russia

Reference

The illegal transportation across the state border of the Russian Federation (the customs border of the EAEU) of potent substances (including in the form of medicines and biologically active supplements) may be qualified as a crime under Article 226.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (“smuggling of potent substances”). This article provides for a maximum penalty of up to 12 years’ imprisonment with a fine of up to 1 million rubles or in the amount of the convicted person’s income for a period of up to 5 years