Russian police have raided a massive drug lab, arresting a gang of drug dealers and chemists and seized their drug-making equipment, Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has reported.
Police calculated that the lab contained over 100 kg of drugs in crystallised form, along with 1.5 tonnes of drugs in liquid-form, some four tonnes of reagents, and 600 kg of precursors, along with seven chemical reactors, and various other equipment.
Police spokeswoman Irina Volk said the discovered drug lab was “the largest” discovered in Russia “in the last several years,” and was discovered thanks to support from Russia’s Federal Security Service.
According to police, the gang sold its drugs through an online store on the so-called dark web, with the suspects also reportedly offering precursors to enable buyers to create their own mini-drug labs. In the course of the raid, police were able to stop 18 deliveries to regions across the country.
The drug lab was said to have been based in two buildings on a 9.8 acre lot at a former farm about 80 km south of the Russian capital, and operated by Russian and Ukrainian nationals, including a courier, three chemists, and the organiser of operation.
According to Volk, the lab was capable of producing some 1.5 illegal substances every month.
Authorities have opened a criminal case, with suspects detained and facing between three and 10 years in prison, and a fine of up to 500,000 rubles, if convicted.
