The issue of underage children dragged into drug trafficking and drug use remains pressing and of high relevance. The horrible trial conveyor has not stopped in 2022, and Belarusian children almost every day get sentenced to extremely long terms of imprisonment.

For the 12 months of the year 2022, exactly in the period from beginning of January to the end of December, 61 under-age children were detained. However, the number of the underage detainees might constitute 63 people; the doubt in the exact number is connected to the difficulty of identification of all underage people in cases of mass arrests, when the age of the detainees is indicated approximately by the investigation authorities. In particular, there are several such cases in this monitoring report. Among the 61 underage detainees there are 32 males and 24 females. Currently, there is no possibility to establish the sex of other 5 underaged detainees (a mass case with 20 defendants under Art. 328).

Speaking about the age of the underage detainees at the moment of their arrest, 18 out of 24 underage girls were 17, which constitutes the absolute majority of all cases, the youngest one was 14 (one case), three more girls were 15 and two were 16 years old. Among the 32 underage boys: 16 of them were 17, 13 of them were 16, three of them were 15 years old at the moment of their arrest. Such distribution by sex and age suggests that in general teenage girls get involved into the drug trafficking and drug use industry about a year later than their male peers.

Geografical distribution of the teenage detainees for 12 months of the year 2022 (January-December): 10 teenagers were from Minsk, 4 were from Minsk region, 9 were from Brest or Brest region, 12 were from Gomel or Gomel region, 11 were from Vitebsk or Vitebsk region, 10 were from Grodno or Grodno region, 5 were from Mogilev or Mogilev region.

The analysis of the cases show that Minsk, Gomel and Brest regions stand out in the terms of social disadvantage, which makes it highly probable for teenagers to be pushed into substance abuse, drug trafficking and other connected crimes. Talking about separate cities in that regard, we should name Orsha in Vitebsk region (six minors), Slonim in Grodno region (five minors), Mozyr of Gomel region (four minors). While the reason why teenagers get involved into drug trafficking in the capital of the country and the most well-to-do in the terms of drugs Mogilev and Mogilev region, is the desire to quickly make some extra cash (for example, a 15-year-old guy from Mogilev wanted to earn money to buy a stunt bike), and the cases of drug trafficking and drug abuse are quite rare there, then in Slonim and other problematic places the reason is mainly connected with the impossibility to find a local job to satisfy the most basic needs, homes troubled in one way or another (single-parent family, social orphanhood, a family with many children and critically low income), the necessity to cover expenses of one’s own drug use.

The monitoring report also covers cases of other seven minors (four males and two females) that had been detained as long ago as 2021, and received their sentences or had investigations on their cases completed in 2022 (two cases). A particularly egregious case is the case of two minor boys from Borisov (16 and 17 years old), who stashed mephedrone in the town in order to buy groceries: they both are from single-parent families (one of them was recognized as living in a socially dangerous situation). In the result, each teenager was sentenced to 6 yours of imprisonment in a juvenile correctional facility.

Altogether, for 12 months of the year 2022, underage teenagers were sentenced to 195 years of imprisonment and 400 basic units of fines.

Among that, under Part 4 Art. 328 (illicit trafficking of highly dangerous psychotropic substances on an especially large scale, committed by an organized group): 15 minors were sentenced to 151.5 years of imprisonment and 400 basic units of fine. Under Part 3 Art. 328: five underage teenagers have been sentenced to 30,5 years of imprisonment.

The most awful part is that the absolute majority of cases involving minor Belarusian citizens detained in 2022 have not even been brought to court yet. Therefore, currently it is difficult to say how severe their sentences are going to be.

January 03, 2022

A 15-year-old schoolboy from Shumilino detained.

On January, 01, the teenager took 200 of α-PVP from a hiding place near Vitebsk. Having broken down the load of drug, the next day he went to Vitebsk. Drug control operatives detained the guy while he was making the stashes.

In the detected hiding places, 18 packs with the psychotropic substance were found. At the schoolboy’s home, electronic scale and filler packets were found. A criminal case was opened against the teenager for illicit drug trafficking with intent to supply.

January 06, 2022

A trial of an 18-year-old and 17-year-old males took place in Minsk.

Young people bought marijuana with intent to supply in the amount of not less than 87.46 grams, which was kept by the 18-year-old with him and at home of his younger companion.

Then, part of the substance in the amount of not less than 75.66 grams was prepared for selling and stashed around the city of Minsk. They illegally kept the rest of the substance with intent to supply until the moment it was found and seized.

They were accused under Part 3, Article 328 of the Criminal Code. The 17-year-old was sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment.

January 11, 2022

An 11-form pupil of a Vitebsk high school was sentenced in Vitebsk district.

He was accused under Part 1 Art. 328 of the Criminal Code of purchasing not less than 1.53 grams of marijuana for own use in an Internet store. He was imposed compulsory measures of educational character with restraint of liberty for the term of 6 months.

January 27, 2022

An investigation of a criminal case against a 14-year-old boy completed in Minsk.

Moskovsky District Office of Internal Affairs of the Investigation Committee in Minsk completed the investigation of the criminal case about illicit trafficking of banned substances.

During the preliminary investigation, it was detected that the minor Minsk native was in an organized criminal group whose main activity was the illegal trafficking of highly dangerous psychotropic substances.

According to the investigation file, in November, 2021, the 14-year-old teenager wanted to make some extra cash and bought a psychotropic substance, α-PVP, with intent to supply, from other participants of the criminal group.

It was detected, that the under-age defendant had been selling the banned substances on the Internet. Having received the substances, he hid them and reported about the hiding places to other participants of the group via Internet. The teenager accrued various highly dangerous psychotropic substances from hiding places in the territory of Minsk and Minsky district many times for further supply.

During the personal search conducted by the operatives of the office for drug control and combating human trafficking of Moskovsky District Office of Internal Affairs of Minsk, two mobile phones were seized, on which photographs with geographical coordinates of the hiding places were found. In the detected hiding places, two packs with α-PVP were found.

The defendant was accused under Part 4 Art. 328 (illicit trafficking of highly dangerous psychotropic substances on an especially large scale, committed by an organized group) of the Criminal Code. In regard to the underage defendant the court has elected a measure of restraint in the form of detention.

January 31, 2022

Three teenagers detained for illicit drug trafficking in Orsha.

According to the operative information, two 16-year-old residents of Orsha and their 18-year-old friend were involved into illicit drug trafficking. Young people, that were studying at different education institutions of Orsha, were also working for an Internet shop as droppers of paramethylephedrone and α-PVP. According to the investigation, the psychotropic substances were brought from the territory of Mogilev region.

During another such trip, the young people were detained. Banned substances were found on them during the search. Also, drugs ready for selling were found in specially equipped hiding places.

Criminal cases were open against all the detainees.

February 08, 2022

A schoolgirl from Zhabinka and her boyfriend from Minsk were taken to custody for organization of a drug trafficking business.

Administration of the Investigation Committee for Brest region completed the investigation of the criminal case about illicit trafficking of banned substances on an especially large scale. The resident of Minsk and the underage resident of Zhabinka are in custody now.

Young people were working for a shop selling drugs on the Darknet. On instructions of the supervisor, the droppers received large batches of psychotropic substances, split them into singular doses and hid them in hiding places. The 22-year-old man and the 17-year-old girl had hidden not less than 450 doses of the drug with the total weigh of over 65 grams. During the personal searches, packs of mephedrone and mobile phones that contained photos of hiding places and their coordinates, as well as photos of the young people taking drugs, were found on the detainees and seized. During the interrogation, they told the investigators that they had decided to join the drug trafficking business to earn money.

The young man was unemployed. The girl was a pupil of an 11th form and was registered with a narcologist. They had had no prior criminal record. On the basis of the collected evidence, the young people were brought charges against under Part 4 Art. 328 (illicit acquisition, possession and transportation of psychotropic substances with intent to supply, committed by an organized group on an especially large scale) of the Criminal Code.

Later, on March 17, 2022, the court in Zhabinka passed the sentence on the criminal case about illicit trafficking of highly dangerous psychotropic substances.

The girl was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment in a juvenile correctional facility. Also, she will be compulsory treated for drug addiction. The young man was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment in a maximum-security correctional facility and a fine in the amount of 200 basic units (6400 BYN).

February 10, 2022

An underage girl from Vitebsk detained for working for an illegal Internet drug market.

Vitebsk Pervomajski District Office of Internal Affairs’ Drug Control operatives established that a 17-year-old resident of Vitebsk was working for a criminal Internet shop. The girl was stashing drugs in the city. She was detained while she was hiding the drugs in one of the hiding places.

The police seized 19 packages of drugs from the minor. As the experts later established, it was mephedrone. Also, the operatives detected other dozes that had already been hid by the girl in Pervomajski district of Vitebsk.

A criminal case has been initiated.

February 11, 2022

Three underage teenagers detained for drug trafficking in one week in Grodno region.

Two 17-year-old girls were detained in Slonim. They had been found by joint efforts of the enforcers from the district department and the regional department. 0.3 grams of α-PVP were found on the girls during the arrest. Going through their mobile phones, the operatives found photos with coordinates of stash points.  It was detected that the girls had been working for a shadow Internet shop selling banned substances. They received the substances from the shop and stashed them in secret places in the territory of Belarus. It was found out that one of the minors had been dropping drugs since the summer of 2021. She had been distributing drugs in the territory of Slonim, Lida and Minsk. The second of the underage girls had worked for the shop for only two weeks.

The examination of the personalities of the teenage girls revealed that they were social orphans, their parents had been deprived of parental rights, the girls had not had previous record and were studying at an institution of secondary special education in Slonim.

16-year-old young man from Grodno started working as a dropper three days before his detention. He had managed to hide drugs in 23 stash points, had earned 92 USD and criminal charges punishable by up to 15 years of imprisonment.

“The young people said that the supervisors had convinced them that the job was safe.  In addition, they attracted the minors with easy money”, said the police.

Criminal proceedings were initiated for drug trafficking under Part 3 Art. 328 of the Criminal Code (Illicit trafficking of drugs, psychotropic substances, their precursors and analogues).

February 16, 2022

High school student and his girlfriend selling psychotropics in Borisov.

Borisovsky District Office of the Investigation Committee is investigating a criminal case about the illicit trafficking of a highly dangerous psychotropic substance α-PVP by two young people.

On December 5, 2021, near a school in Borisov, the police detained a 16-year-old student and his 21-year-old unemployed girlfriend. During the personal search of the detained girl two packages of a psychotropic substance α-PVP, nine syringes and three polymer packets with layers of the same substance were found, during the personal search of the young man a similar syringe was found.

For several months, the guy had worked for an Internet selling psychotropic substances. The girl helped him to drop the drugs to hiding places in the territory of Borisov and Minsky district. Together, they used part of the substances themselves. The motive for committing the crime was the desire to earn money in short terms. Later, the police seized a highly dangerious psychotropic substance α-PVP in on an especially large scale from the stash points, split into doses for further sale to users. The young people had earned about 600 BYN on the sale of psychotropics.

Their actions were qualified by the investigation under Part 3, Art. 328 (illicit acquisition and possession of highly dangerous psychotropic substances by a group of people on an especially large scale with intent to supply) and under Part 1 Art. 328 (illicit acquisition and possession of psychotropic substances without intent to supply) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus.

Investigators studied in detail the information about the personalities of the detainees. The high school student was living with his father and his grandmother. The girl’s parents were divorced, she was living with her mother. In regard to the young people the court has elected a measure of restraint in the form of detention. The investigation of the criminal case continues.

February 21, 2022

Two schoolgirls from Borisov sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment for drug trafficking.

Borisovsky District Court sentenced two female students of a Borisov secondary school to 6 years of imprisonment. “On October, 7 of the last year, two female students of one of the town’s secondary schools illegally purchased with intent to supply crystalline substance of white colour weighing not less than 2.02 g (which is consedered a particularly large scale), containing mephedrone, a highly dangerous psychotropic substance, not used for medical purposes. Implementing their unlawful intent aimed at the illegal sale of a highly dangerous psychotropic substance, the defendants dropped the drug into hiding places in the forest area of Borisov”, said the police.

February 21, 2022

Two underage students of a college detained in Borisov having worked at an Internet shop selling psychotropics for only two days.

The Investigation Department (Administration of Investigation Committee for Minsk region) completed investigation of a criminal case against two minor students from Borisov engaged into illegal trafficking of mephedrone.

According to the investigation, the 16-year-old teenager together with his 17-year-old friend illegally purchased over 30 grams of a highly dangerous psychotropic substances with intent to supply, kept it in a hiding place in a forest in Minsky district, and later transferred it to a forest near Zhodino. Besides that, young people kept a similar psychoactive substance weighing over 45 gram, in another hiding place in Minsky district, transported it to a forest near Borisov, divided it into separate doses and hid in stash points. The said substances were seized by the police in July of the last year.

The investigation file says, that from the end of June – beginning of July, 2021, the underage teenagers communicated in a messanger with a representative of an Internet store that was selling banned substances. The store provided them with requisites of a master stash with mephedrone and gave them a task plan. On June 5, 2021, the young people took the stash from the forest in Minsky district, and after that, placed it in hiding places near Zhodino having divided it into separate doses. Having informed the store about completion of the job, the guys received money and bought groceries.

The following day they received another task. Analogically, the young people took the master stash from a forest, divided it into parts and stashed in hiding places near Borisov.  Once again, they spent the earned money on groceries. On the same evening the underage teenagers were detained.

The examination of living conditions of the underage teenagers showed that they were from single-parent families, one of them was recognized as being in a socially dangerous situation. They had had no prior criminal record.

Their actions were qualified by the investigation under Part 3, Art. 328 (illicit acquisition and  possession of highly dangerous psychotropic substances by a group of people on an especially large scale with intent to supply) and under Part 1 Art. 328 (illicit acquisition, possession and transportation of highly dangerous psychotropic substances without intent to supply, committed by a group of persons that had committed earlier a crime stipulated in Art. 328) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus.

Borisovsky District Court sentenced each young man who had worked in the Internet shop selling drug for only a couple of days, to 6 years of imprisonment in a juvenile correctional facility under Part 3 Art. 328 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus.

March 03, 2022

Two young residents of Brest are to face trial for selling psychotropics in an organized criminal group.

The defendants in the criminal case are two local dwellers, a 17 and 18-year-old. Both the teenagers have basic education, are unemployed and do not study anywhere. They were charged under Part 4, Art. 328 (illicit acquisition, possession and transportation of highly dangerous psychotropic substances with intent to supply and their illegal sale committed by a group of people on an especially large scale) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus. The criminal case is being investigated by the Department of the Investigation Committee for Brest region.

According to the investigation file, from March to May, 2021, administrators of two Internet shops gave instructions to the detainees to receive wholesale lots of psychotropic substances and do them up in small parcels for drug users. Then, they placed the psychoactive substances in hiding places near residential buildings and in forests near the city. At least eight such episodes have been detected. For their work, the young people received monetary renumeration in Crypto currency, transferred to their Bitcoin and Lightcoin electronic wallets.

March 12, 2022

An underage female Minsk resident taken to custody for participation in drug trafficking business.

Moskovsky District Office of Internal Affairs of the Investigation Committee in Minsk completed the investigation of the criminal case about illicit trafficking of highly dangerous psychotropic substances.

According to the investigation, during several previous months, the 17-year-old girl had been in an organized criminal group. Wanting to make some money, the girl was purchasing psychotropics α-PVP and mephedrone. She took them from stash points in the territory of Mogilev, Vitebsk and Minsk regions, divided into small parcels and placed in hididng places across the Republic of Belarus. Investigators claimed that the girl used part of the prohibited substances herself more than once. At the moment of her detention by the operatives of the office for drug control and combating human trafficking under Moskovsky District Office of Internal Affairs of Minsk at the beginning of December, 2021, the underage girl was under the influence of drugs and psychotropic substances at the moment of her detention. During the personal search of the girl, the enforcers found two polymer packages with powdery substances and a mobile phone. In the seized packages, the substances α-PVP and paramethylephedrone of the total mass on 0.90 g were found.

The examination of the mobile phone of the underage girl revealed photos and geographical coordinates of the supposed stash points locations, as well as correspondence with a user giving instructions on selling the psychotropics.

The defendant was accused under Part 4 Art. 328 (illicit purchase, possession, transportation and sale of highly dangerous psychotropic substances on an especially large scale, committed by an organized group) of the Criminal Code. In regard to the underage girl the court has elected a measure of restraint in the form of detention.

March 16, 2022

An unemployed 18-year-old young man and a 17-year-old girl detained for selling psychotropic substance in Brest.

The operatives found out that young people had worked for a virtual drug market. Fulfilling the given task, they purchased 30 grams of methylephedrine. Half of the received substance the droppers split into small parcels, 1 g each, and managed to hide them in stash points, and kept the remaining part with further intent to supply. During the conducted searches, 15 packs with the psychotropic substance were found on the suspects.  They had been promised 10BYN for each completed stash. According to the investigation, the young people purchased over 50 packages with psychotropic substances since January 2022, to stash them in the territory of the city. The young people hid drugs in the stash points, photographed them and sent the photos and the coordinates to the supervisor.

The Investigation Committee conducts a criminal investigation under Part 3 Art. 328 (illicit purchase, possession and sale of highly dangerous psychotropic substances with intent to supply) of the Criminal Code against the young people. In regard to the detainees the court has elected a measure of restraint in the form of detention.

March 18, 2022

A 16-year-old resident of Ostrino detained in Grodno on suspicion of illicit drug trafficking.

According to the investigation, photos and coordinates of hiding places were found on her phone. The enforcers used them to find and seize more than 10 packages of the psychotropic substance mephedrone.

“It was detected that the underage girl had been working for an Internet shop selling psychotropic substances. She received wholesale lots of drugs, split them into separate small parcels and dropped them in stash points. Then, she sent photo reports about the fulfilled work to the supervisor from the shop, after that she received the “salary” on her bank card. The suspect said she had been working at the Internet store for a week only. She explained she wanted to help financially her mother, and also to earn some “easy money”, said the Ministry of the Interior.

Grodno Inter-District Office of the Investigation Committee conducts a criminal investigation under Part 3 Art. 328 (illicit purchase, possession and sale of highly dangerous psychotropic substances with intent to supply) of the Criminal Code against the underage girl.

March 21, 2022

An underage buyer of mephedrone detained in Brest.

The court has elected a measure of restraint in the form of detention in regard to a high school student born in 2005 charged with illicit actions of purchase and possession of psychotropic substances with intent to supply in the framework of a criminal case. According to the investigation file, the 17-year-old girl and her boyfriend, born in 2003, purchased mephedrone and split it between themselves. A part of the psychotropic substance was seized by the operatives of internal affairs during the personal search of the underage buyer.

March 24, 2022

A 17-year-old drug dropper detained in Mogilev.

A drug trafficker was detained by drug control operatives of Mogilev with the support of the OMON. It happened on March, 21, during the measures taken to surpress the activity of an Internet shop selling drugs and psychotropic substances. According to the investigation, the 17-year-old resident of Krichev, as a memberuio of an organized criminal group, kept over 51 grams of mephedrone on himself, in hiding places and at home with intent to supply.

The enforcers detected that sometimes the teenager had received a lot of ready-made stashes, and sometimes a large weight of the psychotropics which he then had to divide into small parcels at home, dropping them later in the territory of the city. The guy had managed to work for the Internet shop for about two months before he was detained.  He was a drug user himself.

A criminal case was open against the suspect.

March 29, 2022

The court of Moskovsky District of the city of Brest passed a sentence on a criminal case about illicit trafficking of psychotropic substances.

Four people were the defendants. They had worked as drug mules for a drug store. They took stashes with psychotropics (α-PVP, mephedrone), split them into small parcels, transported them to various locations and left in hiding places. Then, they communicated the coordinates to the administrator of the Internet shop. One of the detainees was under 18 at the moment of his arrest. The court sentenced the 17-year-old teenager to 10 years of imprisonment in a medium-security prison under Part 4 Art. 328 (illicit drug trafficking committed by an organized group) of the Criminal Code. Also, the teenager has to pay a fine in the sum of 50 basic units.

April 06, 2022

An underage resident of Bobrujsk detained for the illegal drug trafficking.

The young man was wondering in a forest looking for a stash point with a banned substance. Having received the drug, he went to the closest bus stop where he was detained. Highly dangerous psychotropic substance mephedrone was found on the guy and seized. The underage teenager was completing his first task from the Internet shop selling psychotropics, he had been supposed to drop 5 grams of mephedrone in hiding places across Mogilev.

During the interrogation, the teenager explained that while looking for a job he had come across an advertisement promising earnings in the amount of 1000 USD:  the “employer” promised that sum just for a week of work.

The examination of the personality of the detainee revealed that two months before he had been expelled for truancy and academical failure from one of Bobrujsk colleges. Besides that, he had previous record for hooliganism.

Currently, the 17-year-old Bobrujsk resident is charged under Part 4 Art. 328 (illegal trafficking of highly dangerous psychotropic substances on an especially large scale committed by an organized group) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus; he is facing up to 20 years of imprisonment. In regard to the detainee the court has elected a measure of restraint in the form of detention.

April 12, 2022

Investigation of two criminal cases completed in Vitebsk against an underage boy from Shumilino and an 18-year-old girl from Vitebsk working as drug droppers for an Internet store specialized in selling drugs and psychotropics.

According to the investigation, starting from December, 2021, an 18-year-old college student from Vitebsk and a 15-year-old schoolboy from Shumilino had communicated with their “curators” in Telegram messenger. They received coordinates of large batches of a psychotropic substance. Having taken the psychotropics from a stash point, they split it into small parcels and hid them in the territory of Vitebsk. After reporting about the task completion, the defendants received monetary remunerations.

They had managed to work for the Internet store for only a couple of months. In January, 2022, while making stashes, the teenagers were detained by the police. A highly dangerous psychotropic substance, α-PVP, was found and seized during the personal searches, home searches and in the stash points, the coordinates of which were found on the mobile phones of the suspects.

They were brought charges against under Part 4 Art. 328 (illegal trafficking of psychotropic substances) of the Criminal Code. In regard to the detainees the court has elected a measure of restraint in the form of detention.

April 18, 2022

A sentence on a criminal case about illicit trafficking of highly dangerous psychotropic substances committed by an organized group passed in Brest.

Three people were defendants in the criminal case, including one minor. According to the investigation file, the 16-year-old teenager had been a drug mule and a dropper working for a drug store. His task was to collect a psychotropic substance, α-PVP, do it in small parcels, deliver to hiding places across the city and communicate the coordinates to the administrator of the Internet store, after what he received renumeration for his services. The defendant kept a part of the psychotropic substance α-PVP, also in stash points, until the moment of his arrest.

In line with Part 4 Art. 328 of the Criminal Code, he was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment in a juvenile correctional facility.

April 20, 2022

An underage teenager from Minsk received an offer to become a drug dropper on a social media.

During the detention of the 16-year-old, about 100 grams of α-PVP, zip-packets, a measuring spoon and a scale were found in his room. Packaging the drug, the teenager was telling the relatives that he was making smoke grenades. The relatives noticed that the teenager started buying branded clothes and got a new phone, but they decided not to ask about that.

Criminal cases were open against the minor. He is in custody now.

March 21, 2022

A 15-year-old teenager detained in Mogilev.

According to the investigation, at the end of March, the teenager got a message on a social media offering him an opportunity to earn some money. The link led to a chat where the essence of work was explained. Several days after he had completed the training, the guy got his first task from his supervisor. Having it completed successfully, the schoolboy received the payment and a new task: to collect a batch, split it into separate parcels and make stashes. He was detained while he was looking for the place to stash the drugs.

During the interrogation, the teenager explained that he had known from the beginning the essence of the job. However, he added, he wanted to earn money by himself to buy a stunt bike. He had managed to work for the Internet store for only two weeks. Examination of his personality revealed that the teenager studied in a Mogilev secondary school. He had had no prior criminal record.

The 15-year-old resident of Mogilev was charged under Part 4 Art. 328 (illicit trafficking of highly dangerous psychotropic substances committed by an organized group) of the Criminal Code. In regard to the detainee the court has elected a measure of restraint in the form of detention. The investigation of the criminal case continues.

April 26, 2022

A 17-year-old gymnasium student taken to custody.

The girl is accused of purchasing, possessing and selling a dangerous psychotropics. In January, she collected not less than 2 grams of the banned substance from a stash point and hid it in another place according to the instructions of her supervisor from the Internet store. The girl is charged with an attempted purchase and storage of 26.12 grams of a psychotropics with intent to supply. Inter-District Office of the Investigation Committee of Baranavichy opened a criminal case.

May 14, 2022

A 17-year-old female resident of Grodno accused of illegal trafficking of drugs, psychotropic substances, their precursors and analogues.

The girl was detained at the moment when she had managed to make five stashes. She was carrying 18 more.

It was detected that the underage girl had been working for an illegal Internet store selling banned substances, in particular, the synthetic salt – mephedrone. As usually, the underage girl had been guaranteed full protection, confidentiality and high payment, of course. As a positive answer, the underage Vitebsk resident sent her selfie and a photo of her passport to the “employer”, and was ready to take a task.

However, during her first time, she was detained in the act by the police. The girl had already had a police record, including alcohol and drug abuse. She was on a special record at the college, which she had not been visiting regularly. She is accused under Article 328 facing from 10 to 20 years of imprisonment.

May 25, 2022

Drug addicts dragged a teenager into illegal drug trafficking.

Gomel City Department of the Investigation Committee completed investigation of a criminal case against three droppers of an organized group, connected with sale of drugs and psychotropic substances via Internet stores in the territory of Belarus. Young people aged 21, 18 and 17 are charged with a particularly serious offence.

According to the investigation, the adult defendants met each other in an open-type correctional institution in Gomel. The eldest, a resident of Rahachou, had been convicted for purchase and possession of marijuana, the other one, Mozyr resident, for mephedrone.  While serving their punishment, they both worked at an industrial enterprise. During their free time, they decided to make some extra cash by working for a drug seller.

Using a joint account in a messenger, the young people got in touch with employers of an Internet store and upon completing their probation period received a “responsible” task: to collect a hidden package with α-PVP and make small stashes out of it. The task was problematic for convicts, as they were limited in their movements outside the detention facility, so the Mozyr dweller attracted his underage fellow townman to join. The underage college student went to collect the stash.  Part of the psychotropics was used by the three at their place of work, part was hidden in a secret place and was seized by drug control operatives on the same day.

On the basis of the collected evidence, the three defendants were accused under Part 3, Art. 328 (illicit acquisition and possession of highly dangerous psychotropic substances by a group of people on an especially large scale with intent to supply); the Mozyr resident was also accused under Part 3 Art. 172 (involvement of a minor into an organized group, into committing a particularly serious offence) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus. In regard to the detaineesthe court has elected a measure of restraint in the form of detention.

June 01, 2022

17-year-old student of Zhodino college facing trial for illegal drug trafficking.

According to the investigation file, not later than October 18, 2021, being on drugs, the guy received coordinates and description of a hiding place in Minsky district where he was to collect 250 grams of marijuana for subsequent sale. Having arrived to the location, the teenager was detained by the police.

During the search, electronic scale and a metallic spoon with particles of α-PVP were found at his place, as well as over a thousand polymer filler packets and tape for weighing and packing drugs and psychotropics.

In the mobile phone of the defendant, his correspondence with representatives of the Internet store was found, which confirmed his consent to distribute psychoactive substances. The terms of the job and the payment were also discussed there. In addition, there were messages with pictures of the stash points and their coordinates.

During the terrain search, the police seized 2.15 grams of α-PVP.

It was detected, that during his cooperation with the illegal drug market, the defendant earned 522 BYN.

The property of the defendant was seized for the sum of 950 BYN. The actions of the defendant were qualified under Part 4 Art. 328, Part 1 Art. 14 and Part 3 Art. 328 of the Criminal Code.

June 16, 2022

Two underage teenagers detained in the capital.

A 17-year-old guy and a 17-year-old girl from Mozyr who had decided to work as drug mules were arrested. A day prior to their arrest, the young people had been hired by an Internet drug market and had managed to stash in different places a bat of the psychotropic substance mephedrone. About 150 grams of the drug were found in the stash points. It is known, that the detained girl had just finished the 10th form, and the young man was unemployed. He had already had prior criminal record for theft and robbery.

A criminal case was opened against the teenagers for illicit drug trafficking with intent to supply.

June 17, 2022

A 17-year-old female college student detained for distribution of psychotropics in Grodno.

Grodno Inter-District Office of the Investigation Committee of the Republic of Belarus is investigating a criminal case about illicit trafficking of psychotropic substances.

On June, 16, in Grodno, a 17-year-old local resident was detained by drug control operatives of Leninsky District Office of Internal Affairs on suspicion of illicit drug trafficking. During the personal search, a package with α-PVP was found on the detained girl and seized.

The investigation detected that the detained underage girl had been working for an Internet shop selling psychotropic substances for just 2 weeks. She dropped singular doses to hiding places, photographed them and sent the pictures and the coordinates to the curator of the store. The defendant said that she had decided to join the drug trafficking business to earn “easy money” to help her family.

The examination of the personality of the girl revealed that she was from a family with many children and studied at a college. She had had no prior criminal record. The defendant was accused under Part 3 Art. 328 (illicit purchase and possession of highly dangerous psychotropic substances with intent to supply) of the Criminal Code. In regard to the underage girl the court has elected a measure of restraint in the form of detention.

June 23, 2022

An underage girl in Baranavichy sentenced to 11 years of imprisonment for working for a drug market.

The court in Baranavichy passed a verdict in the criminal case about illicit trafficking of highly dangerous psychotropic substances against two locals.

One of the defendants was an underage female student born in 2004 (17 years old). The 28-year-old young man, a friend of hers, had been attracted to penal responsibility seven times. They had worked as drug mules for a drug market. The young people collected psychotropic substances (mephedrone and α-PVP) from appointed spots across the republic, did them up in small parcels, transported and hid them across the city, communicating the coordinates of hiding places to the administrator of the Internet store. In particular, it is known, that from January 5 to 26, 2022, the underage girl stashed paramethylephedrone and α-PVP in Baranavichy. The girl was detained while hiding another lot of psychotropics.

The defendants were found guilty under Part 4 Art. 328 (illicit trafficking of highly dangerous psychotropic substances on an especially large scale, committed by an organized group) of the Criminal Code. They both were sentenced to 11 years of imprisonment: the man is to serve the punishment in a maximum-security correctional facility, the underage girl – in a juvenile correctional facility. Also, they are to pay fines in the amount of 200 and 50 basic units correspondingly.

July 12, 2022

Four people detained in Mogilev for trafficking psychotropics.

Drug control operatives in cooperation with the OMON detained a group of young people in Mogilev, working for an illegal Internet drug market. It was detected, that the 18-year-old guy and three girls aged from 15 to 18, collected wholesale lots of a dangerous psychotropic substance mephedrone from hiding places. They split the lots into separate dozes in a rented apartment and dropped them in the territory of Mogilev region for retail couriers. The young people had been working with the drug-selling Internet store for about two months. 600 grams of psychotropics were seized from them during a search.

A criminal case was opened against the teenagers for illicit drug trafficking with intent to supply.

July 20, 2022

Three 17-year-old girls detained for drug trafficking in Grodno region.

Slonimsky District Office of the Investigation Committee disclosed the details of an investigation of a criminal case about illicit trafficking of psychotropic substances on a large scale.

According to the investigation, three 17-year-old girls had acted in an organized criminal group whose main activity was the illegal trafficking of drugs and highly dangerous psychotropic substances.

The underage detainees had been hired by an illegal Internet drug market through a popular messenger. Their task was to collect drugs from stash points, split them into small dozes and hid them across the territory of Grodno region. The payment for the “job” arrived to their bank cards. The main aim of the 17-year-old girls to take up the job for the drug market was to earn extra money.

During the whole time of their “employment”, the girls made over 50 stashes with α-PVP and then sent the coordinates to their supervisor. In February, 2022, the girls were detained by the police. During the investigation of the criminal case, their phones were seized. The information revealed during the examination of the phones helped the operatives to find the hidden stashes. The amount of the seized highly dangerous psychotropic substance was almost 22 grams, which constitutes a large scale.

It was detected, that two of the detained girls had worked for the drug store for already 4 months, while the “working experience” of the third girl had been of only 4 days. The study of their personalities revealed that they were college students and had negative characteristics at their place of residence.

The actions of the three defendants were qualified under Part 4 Art. 328 (illicit trafficking of highly dangerous psychotropic substances on an especially large scale, committed by an organized group) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus. In regard to the detainees the court has elected a measure of restraint in the form of detention. As stipulated by the named above article, the defendants are facing up to 20 years of imprisonment.

Besides that, another person involved in the case was detected in the course of the investigation, a 21-year-old resident of Slonim, who had involved one of the three underage defendants into the illicit drug trafficking, as well as into usage of banned substances. For that, he allowed her to use his own apartment. At his place of residence, the man kept a dangerous drug, marijuana, which according to the investigation he had used many times.

On September 13, 2022, Slonimsky District Court passed the verdict and sentenced the two girls to 10 years of imprisonment in a medium-security prison and a fine in the amount of 100 basic units. The third underage girl was sentenced to 10 years and 5 months of imprisonment in a medium-security prison and to a fine in the same amount.

The young man that had involved the girls into the organized criminal group and “worked” together with them, was sentenced to 8 years and 1 months of imprisonment in a maximum-security correctional facility.

July 27, 2022

Two residents of Gomel detained for drug trafficking.

Drug control operatives of Grodno region together with their colleagues from Gomel detained a 22-year-old young man and a 17-year-old girl that had made stashes in Gomel. Over 40 grams of α-PVP were seized during a search conducted at the place of residence of the detained young people, and from the stash points. The defendants explained that they had been conducting the illegal activity for about two months.

July 27, 2022

20 years of colony for two: a verdict passed in Kalinkavichy on two teenagers for trafficking psychotropics.

The court of Kalinkavichsky district passed the sentence on a criminal case about illicit trafficking of psychotropic substances against two teenagers. They were accused of illicit trafficking of highly dangerous psychotropic substances committed by an organized group. One of the defendants was born in 2005 (17 years old), the other one was born in 2007 (15 years old). They were charged with Part 4 Art. 328 of the Criminal Code.

The teenagers wanted to earn some extra money. “They voluntarily joined an organized group conducting a criminal activity of illicit trafficking of highly dangerous psychotropic substances in the territory of Belarus.  They worked as drug couriers. In January of this year, they received information about location of packages with 21.0343 grams of α-PVP. They collected the drugs from the stash points, used part of the psychotropics themselves. Being under the influence of the psychotropics, they kept the part of the drugs and transported them. They stashed the rest”, – that was said during the trial.

Both the teenagers were found guilty. They were sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment each in a juvenile correctional facility.

August 04, 2022

Two schoolchildren distribute psychotropics during their vacation.

According to the investigation, a 17-year-old girl and her 16-year-old boyfriend found an advertisement in a messenger about a part-time job in an Internet store selling drugs The teenagers were promised high earnings, so they agreed.

A few days later, the minors were detained by the police. The suspects explained that they wanted to make some cash. Altogether, the guy and the girl had managed to make over 20 stashes in the territory of Minsk. The teenagers had not got into the view of police before.

A criminal case was opened against them under Part 3 Art. 328 (illicit drug trafficking committed by a group of persons).

November 11, 2022

Sentence for trafficking psychotropics by an organized criminal group passed in Gomel.

The Prosecutor’s Office of Gomel region supported the state prosecution on a criminal case against 20 participants of an organized criminal group managing Internet stores in Vitebsk, Gomel, Minsk and Mogilev regions. They were accused of illicit acquisition, possession and transportation of highly dangerous psychotropic substances on an especially large scale.

The defendants had been receiving information from other participants of the group about hiding places equipped for long-term secret storage of psychotropic substance, with the aim to collect drugs, split them into small parcels in rented apartments and stash the parcels for further illegal sale. In total, over 6.7 kg of banned substances were found with the defendants.

At the moment of committing the crimes, the age of the defendants varied from 17 to 52. There were five minors among them all. Sovetsky District Court of Gomel sentenced the defendants under Part 4 Art. 328 of the Criminal Code to imprisonment for the terms from 10 to 15 years.

August 24, 2022

Baranavichsky District Court and Baranavichy City Court passing a verdict on two college students for trafficking psychotropics.

The defendants are young men born in 2002 and 2005, that worked as drug mules. They received information from the administrator of an Internet store about hiding places with α-PVP and mephedrone. Young people collected psychotropics from those places and stashed them for users.

The court found the elder guy guilty under Part 4 Art. 328 (illicit trafficking of psychotropics) and Part 3 Art. 172 (involvement of a minor into committing an offense) of the Criminal Code. He was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment in a maximum-security correctional facility. The young man will have to pay 100 basic units of fine (3200 BYN). Besides that, he will have to pay the illegally obtained 2640 BYN. The 17-year-old teenager was sentenced under Part 4. Art. 328 of the Criminal Code to 10 years of imprisonment in a juvenile correctional facility.

August 24, 2022

Two teenagers poisoned with psychotropics in Minsky district.

A call from a hospital arrived to Minsky District Department of Internal Affairs informing those two young residents of Minsky district, aged 16 and 17, had been brought to hospital with symptoms of psychotropic drugs poisoning with a difference of a few hours. One of them was in a coma. The second teenager said that he had bought a highly dangerous drug methadone on the Internet and used it together with his friend. At night they both felt bad.

Investigators initiated a criminal case for use and distribution of drugs.

August 26, 2022

An underage teenager working for a drug market detained in Soligorsk.

A 17-year-old resident of Vitebsk region made stashes in the outskirts of Soligorsk. According to the operative information, several days before his arres, the guy arrived to the capital and rented a flat for some time. The dropper arrived to Soligorsk on a taxi and started performing tasks obtained from managers of a drug market. The offender had managed to make two stashes with mephedrone, other eight were seized from him during a personal search.

The police added, that in summer the defendant had entered one of Minsk lyceums, but he won’t be able to start studying there, as a criminal case for illicit drug trafficking with intent to supply was opened against him.

August 29, 2022

An underage was detained in Minsk for making stashes with psychotropics for an illegal Internet drug market.

Having detained a 17-year-old resident of Vitebsk region on August, 24, the drug control arrested his girlfriend as well. It was detected that she had been dragged into the illegal drug trafficking by the detained guy.

The girl had been making stashes in the territory of Minsk. Besides selfies, landscapes and other files in the galary of her smartphone, photos of drug hiding places and their coordinates were found. The girl had not worked for the Internet store selling drugs even for a month.

She is charged under Part 3 Art. 328 of the Criminal Code and is facing up to six years of imprisonment.

August 29, 2022

A 14-year-old girl working for an Internet market detained in Grodno.

A 14-year-old resident of Volkovyssk came to Grodno to get a new lot of drugs for stashing. 20 parcels of psychotropic substance α-PVP were found on her.  They were split into small doses; the total weigh was 20 grams. The girl had been working for the Internet drug market for only two weeks.

The management of the store had been promised 10-12 BYN for each completed stash. Before the girl was arrested, she had been paid 50 BYN. A criminal case was opened against the teenager for illicit drug trafficking with intent to supply.

September 06, 2022

A 16-year-old drug dropper detained in Kobryn.

The police got on the trail of a young man was working for a drug market during their operational activities. The teenager was detained carrying 30 parcels of psychotropic substance α-PVP.

He said he had started working for the drug market since June, 2022. A criminal case was open against the minor.

September 12, 2022

A wholesale drug seller and a group of droppers detained, a 16-year-old lyceum female student among them.

Drug control operatives detained a 30-year-old Brest native working for a drug market. The detainee received wholesale lots of psychotropics, split it into small parcels and hid them in the territory of the capital. In the stash point as well as at the place of residence of the detained man over 34 grams of a highly dangerous psychotropic substance α-PVP werre found and seized.

During the following operational search activities, four other people working for the same drug market were detained: a 16-year-old female student of a Minsk lyceum, a 17-year-old Russian citizen, a 31-year-old Minsk resident and a 23-year-old resident of Minsk region. Prior to their arrest, the detained people had stashed 200 grams of α-PVP across the territory of the capital.

A criminal case was opened against them for drug trafficking.

September 23, 2022

A group of telephone fraudsters detained in Minsk.

A group of couriers of telephone fraudsters was detained in Minsk.

The operatives identified and detained the organizer of a criminal scheme, who happened to be a 17-year-old college student. The young man had created a group in a messenger through which he managed actions of his accomplices: three couriers aged from 17 to 19, and a 30-year-old taxi driver. The accomplices were detained as well. It was detected that the taxi driver had been driving the couriers across the capital. They extorted money form pensioners and gave it to the organizer.  In two weeks, 30 victims have transferred to the fraudsters over 135 thousand BYN in foreign currency and over 80 thousand BYN in domestic one.

During the search, single doses of drugs were found on the detainees. Investigators opened criminal cases for fraud on an especially large scale and for illicit drug trafficking.

October 03, 2022

Investigation of a criminal case about illicit trafficking of psychotropic substance on an especially large scale by an organized criminal group completed by the Administration of the Investigation Committee for Mogilev region.

According to the investigation, in April, 2022, a 17-year-old female resident of Bobrujsk subscribed to a drug market on Telegram messenger. Upon completing a “training”, the girl started working as a stash maker. The teenager accrued various highly dangerous psychotropic substances from hiding places in the territory of Mogilev and Gomel regions multiple times with the intent of further supply. After several months on the “job”, the girl involved into it her 18-year-old boyfriend, also from Bobrujsk. When the guy saw that she was actually making money, he agreed to help.

Having worked for the Internet drug store for about three months, the girl received a task for a large lot from her supervisor, which she had to collect from a hiding place in Mogilev. Having arrived to the city, the young people rented an apartment together where they had everything they needed to split the lot into separate doses: electronic scale, polymer filler packets and tape.

After their detention and search of the Mogilev apartment, α-PVP and mephedrone were found on the young people and seized.  Also, over 600 grams of highly dangerous psychotropic substances were found in hiding places.

The examination of the personalities of the detainees revealed that the girl was a student and the guy was a former student of the same Bobrujsk college. They had had no prior criminal record.

The actions of the defendants were qualified under Part 4 Art. 328 (illicit trafficking of highly dangerous psychotropic substances on an especially large scale, committed by an organized group) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus. In regard to the detainees the court has elected a measure of restraint in the form of detention.

October 04, 2022

A group of young people working as collectors for a drugstore detained in Orsha.

The group included an 18-year-old unemployed Orsha resident and two students of a professional lyceum: a 16-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl. The detainees had worked for a drug market. Through a messenger they were receiving tasks from their supervisor to make a physical impact, for example by beating, on guilty drug droppers. The young people filmed their actions. The Ministry of Internal Affairs says that at the moment of their detention the young people “were threatening a guilty drug dropper to cut his finger.”

The Ministry of Internal Affairs takes the initiative to consider such collectors as full members of organized criminal groups involved in drug trafficking. Thus, their actions can be qualified under Art. 328 “Illegal drug trafficking” of the Criminal Code. They are facing up to 20 years in prison.

October 27, 2022

A 16-year-old college student detained for working for a drug shop in Malorita and accused of purchase and possession of psychotropics.

A 16-year-old college student is accused for purchase and possession of psychotropics.

The teenager had been working for a drug seller. He purchased paramethylephedrone to supply it to users. He collected a so-called mega-stash from a hiding place and brought it home, where he split it into small parcels to sell to users. Part of them he stashed in Brest and Brest region. It has been indicated, that the teenager made 15 stashes in September and October.

He was detained at his college. During the search, seven packets of psychotropics were found on him and seized.

In line with the prosecutor’s sanction, the underage teenager was taken to custody.

November 02, 2022

An 18-year-old guy and a 16-year-old schoolboy working for a drug market detained in Minsk.

A resident of Minsk paid attention to a young guy who was digging something into the ground. The man supposed the guy was making a stash of drugs and tried to detained him by himself. The guy managed to escape, but the man immediately called the police and described the suspect.

The operatives found and detained the escapee who happened to be an 18-year-old resident of the capital. He had worked for a shadow drug market for about a month. It was detected that an underage 16-year-old schoolboy had been working together with him. They guys hid stashes with the psychotropic substance α-PVP to earn money. 220 grams of psychotropics were found on them and in hiding places and seized.

A criminal case was opened against the guys for illicit drug trafficking with intent to supply.

November 05, 2022

Three collectors of a drug market detained in Gomel region.

They were one 17-year-old and two 18-year-old students of a college in Mozyr. The youngest of the detained received an order from an Internet drug market to beat a guilty courier, who was stealing some of the psychotropics and was to be punished to set an example. The group of young people lured a 37-year-old resident of Dobrush, who was the guilty courier of the drug market, into a forest. There, they severely beat the man, burnt him, shot him in the head with a pneumatic gun, made him apologize and filmed it to present a confirming video of the punishment to their customer from the Internet drug market.

The victim got to one of Mozyr hospitals, that sent a signal to the local police “about a patient with serious injuries of criminal character.” Later, the group of young people was detained.

Investigators opened a criminal case for intentional infliction of grievous bodily harm committed by a group of persons. Besides that, the suspects will be considered as full members of organized criminal groups involved in drug trafficking. Their actions might be qualified under Art. 328 “Illicit drug trafficking” according to which they are facing up to 20 years of imprisonment.

November 15, 2022

Two young people in Minsk sentenced to 9 years of imprisonment each.

The Prosecutor’s Office of Frunzensky district of Minsk supported a state prosecution in the criminal case against a 19-year-old young man and his 15-year-old female acquaintance.

The young man had already been convicted for drug possession. He offered the 15-year-old student of a Minsk secondary school to work for an Internet store selling psychotropics. The girl agreed, and both young people stashed drugs in the territory of the capital. Two days later they were arrested. In court the guy and the girl both pleaded guilty and repented of their deeds.

The court found the elder guy guilty under Part 3 Art. 328 (illicit trafficking of psychotropics) and Part 3 Art. 172 (involvement of a minor into committing an offense) of the Criminal Code and sentenced him to 11.5 years of imprisonment. Also, he is to pay a fine in the amount of 100 basic units. The girl was sentenced to 6.5 years of imprisonment under Part 3 Art. 328.

December 7, 2022

Four drug dealers were detained in Vitebsk region, 300 g. of psychotropics were seized.

Four drug dealers were detained in Vitebsk. Operatives from the drug control department seized over 300 grams of psychotropic substance, the department of information and public relations of the Administration of Internal Affairs of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee reported.

The enforcers detained a 32-year-old resident of Orshansky district in Vitebsk. He was carrying a package with 100 grams of a dangerous psychotropic substance – mephedrone. The man was supposed to pack it up in small doses and transfer to small drug dealers for further distribution. Then, the operatives of the drug control department established that the man was supposed to take from stashes several more consignments of mephedrone and α-PVP for further selling in the black market. They found two stash hiding places with 100 grams of drugs in each. Altogether, over 300 grams of psychotropics were seized, their total value in the black market exceeded 50 thousand BYN.

Three more persons involved into the same criminal scheme and connected to the same consignments of the illegal substance were detained by the police in Vitebsk and Orsha. They turned out to be a 16-year-old resident of Vitebsk, a 32-year-old resident of Mogilev and an 18-year-old citizen of the Russian Federation, also living in Mogilev. It turned out they did not know each other.

Criminal cases were open against all the detainees. The Administration of the Internal Affairs said that the man detained in Vitebsk was already a wholesale drug courier. He was working for a huge Internet store which had hired him two months before. He started as a regular drug dropper, and sometime later got a promotion in the criminal business.

December 9, 2022

The Court in Kobryn passed a sentence against two drug sellers and one purchaser of marijuana.

The public prosecutor’s office of Kobrynsky district pressed charges in the criminal case about illegal marijuana trafficking. Such information was published on the official web-site of the public prosecutor’s office.

The defendants in the case were three young people. A 17-year-old boy and his 21-year-old acquaintance purchased and sold 4.85 of marijuana to a 20-year-old guy. At the same time, they left 1.36 grams of the drug for personal use. Carrying that dose on them, they got detained by the police.

The court of Kobrynsky district found the two sellers guilty under Part 1 and Part 3 of Art. 328 of the Criminal Code (illicit purchase, possession and sale of drugs). The underage teenager was sentenced to 7.5 years of imprisonment in a juvenile correctional facility. The 21-year-old was sentenced to 9 years of imprisonment in a maximum-security correctional facility. Also, he is to pay a fine in the amount of 100 basic units (3.2 thousand BYN).

The third young man was sentenced to 2 and a half years of restraint of liberty under Part 1 Art. 328 of the Criminal Code (illicit purchase without intent to supply and possession of drugs) without being sent to an open-type correctional facility.

Additional information

March 11, 2022

Representatives of the civil initiative “Movement of mothers 328” suggested to amnesty the convicts, examine criminal cases with doctors and not to imprison users buying drugs in small quantities for personal use.

They turned with that suggestion to Aliaksandr Lukashenka. Their letter was sent on March 1, 2022, on the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking. The letter was electronically signed by 483 people whose children had been convicted under Art. 328 of the Criminal Code were

UPD March 23, 2022. The suggestion of the initiative “Movement of mothers 328” can lead to an increase in the illicit drug trafficking and involvement of minors into it. This is what the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus communicated to the activists of the initiative in response to their appeal.

August 11, 2022

An increase in the number of drug related crimes in which minors are involved is being observed in Belarus, the Senior Inspector for Special Assignments of the Prevention Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Aliaksandr Davidenko, told the journalists.

“The growth in the sphere of drug related crimes is particularly worrying, it’s exceeding [the  previous data] by 2.2. times. Mostly, minors commit drug related crimes with intent to supply. The absolute majority of trafficked drugs involves α-PVP and methadone,” Aliaksandr Davidenko said.

According to him, the threat of involvement of young people into drug trafficking through Internet is high. “Messages about easy and fast money often arrive on the Internet, and offer [young people] to become drug mules. A lot of teenagers know about responsibility for such crimes, but possibility to easily earn money drags them into drug related crimes anyways”.

September 02, 2022

Investigation Committee: collectors of drug markets will be brought to responsibility as members of an organized group.

Collectors of drug markets will be brought to responsibility as members of an organized group, informed the official representative of the Investigation Committee, Aliaksandr Sukhadolsky.

“The Investigation Committee opened a criminal case for especially malicious hooliganism against a group that had cruelly beaten a teenager.  The suspects inflicted at least 56 blows with metal bars and a bat on the head, body and extremities of the 17-year-old victim, and burned his hair with a lighter. Besides that, the investigation established, that the defendants were members of an organized group working for an Internet store specializing in drug sale. The job of the young people was to beat and intimidate drug droppers and users. Thus, they secured the fields of concearn of the criminal group as punitive force”, said Aliaksandr Sukhadoslky.

The official representative of the Investigation Committee indicated that currently the actions of the young people are qualified under Part 3 Art. 339 of the Criminal Code. In regard to the young people, investigators will ask for the measure of restraint in the form of detention. “Lately, it has not been a single fact. Such people will always be brought to responsibility under Part 4 Art. 328 of the Criminal Code. It provides for illegal trafficking of drugs, psychotropic substances, their precursors and analogues committed by an organized group. The maximum punishment stipulated in the Article is 20 years of imprisonment. The same fate is expecting other participants of criminal groups supporting various directions of the criminal activity of drug markets,” underlined Aliaksandr Sukhadolsky.

He added that today the drug business is acquiring aggressive character, and couriers working for drug shops can be deprived not only of their freedom, but also of their health and life. The official representative of the Investigation Committee said, that the law enforcement bodies are doing everything they can to detect other groups in the territory of Belarus controlled by drug markets.

November 25, 2022

A sharp increase in the number of drug related crimes in Belarus: what is the reason?

According to the Investigation Committee of the Republic of Belarus, 4600 criminal cases connected to illicit drug trafficking were opened in Belarus in 2021. The Committee acknowledges that every year more and more underage teenagers are getting involved in the criminal business and become users themselves. Thus, there were 90 such defendants in 2021 against the three-time lower number in 2020.

Reporting to Aliaksandr Lukashenka on the crime rate in the country, the General Prosecutor of Belarus, Andrei Shved, informed that last year almost twice as many people died from overdose as in 2020. “Also, 2.5 times more minors were brought to justice,” Shved added. “It’s a very worrying number for us”.

This is how the Belarusian regime is fighting drug trafficking by the only means it knows: sending to prison more and more Belarusian children that were just looking for some job to buy groceries.

Contradictory statements of the enforcers

Belarusian enforcers contradict their own statements.

They are speaking simultaneously about a decrease in the drug crime rate and about an increase in the drug crime rate among minors in Belarus.

Here are their statements made in December of the 2022, when the enforcers were summing up the results of the year:

December 01, 2022

The Prosecutor General’s Office is concerned about the increase in the number of drug-related offenses among the teenagers.

The Prosecutor-General’s Office is concerned about the increase in the number of drug-related crimes among teenagers,  the General Prosecutor of Belarus, Andrei Shved, said to the journalists prior to a meeting of the Board of the Department.

December 27, 2022

The drug-related crime-rate among the minors in Belarus is decreasing.

The drug-related crime-rate among the minors in Belarus is decreasing, Deputy Chief of the Drug Control Division of the Main Directory for Drug Control and Combating Trafficking in Human Beings of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Belarus, Siarhei Haradzetsky reported to the journalists.