Colombian national arrested in Vladivostok over major drug trafficking attempt
A Colombian national has been arrested in Vladivostok for attempting to sell drugs on a large scale. The incident took place at a garage cooperative on Dobrovolskogo Street in March. Authorities have now filed criminal charges under Russia's drug trafficking laws. The suspect was detained after allegedly trying to complete a major drug deal on 20 March. The crime was stopped before it could be finalised, reportedly due to circumstances outside the suspect's control. Prosecutors have since secured a two-month pretrial detention order.
This case follows an earlier incident involving a Uruguayan resident in Primorye's Kirovsky District. That individual was penalised for using a fake driver's licence. Meanwhile, regional data shows a drop in registered drug users over the past five years, falling from 11,039 to 8,745—a decline of nearly 21%. Diagnosed addiction cases have also decreased, from 6,533 in 2020 to 5,794.
Nationwide, drug-related offences remain high, with around 200,000 cases reported annually. While new psychoactive substance dependencies have surged—rising from 4,240 in 2010 to nearly 24,000 in 2024—first-time diagnoses and injection drug use have both fallen sharply. The investigation into the Vladivostok case continues under the prosecutor's oversight. The suspect now faces charges under Part 3 of Article 30 and Paragraph 'g' of Part 4 of Article 228.1 of Russia's Criminal Code. The case highlights ongoing enforcement efforts in a region where drug-related offences persist despite a decline in registered users. The prosecution's next steps will determine how the legal process proceeds.
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