Last week, Latvian police managed to uncover the biggest narcotics production facility in the country’s history in Alūksne. Law enforcers managed to secure “product” worth at least EUR 400 million, as reported by State Police.
Eight members of an international crime group were detained. Among them were five Ukrainian citizens, two Polish citizens and one Armenian citizen. All of them are aged between 24 and 34 years. Six of them were put under arrest.
Police performed simultaneous operations in several Latvian cities. Seven searches were performed.
More than 1 ton of ready product was confiscated. This includes synthetic drug Clephedrone, more than 38 000 litres of various chemical liquids, which, according to experts, are precursors or basic substances for the production of synthetic drugs. Laboratory equipment and various items related to the manufacture of drugs, five cars – three light and two trucks, several mobile phones, SIM cards, routers, a laptop and other items that are relevant to the investigation have also been removed.
Laboratory examinations continue to determine the composition of removed substances.
Chief of Latvian State Police Armands Ruks said even more stores of chemicals were found in the final stages of chemical production, so it is assumed that after the completion of the examination, the amount of finished products confiscated by the police will reach several more tonnes.
“This is actually the largest drug manufacturing laboratory that has been discovered in Latvia so far,” Ruks said at a press-conference.
The police will not comment on whether the group had a connection with locals in Latvia. Ruks pointed out that the police would also not comment on the roles of suspects, including whether the organiser of the crime was detained along with them.
The narcotics in question were not intended for the Latvian market, but possibly for other European countries, such as Scandinavia, as well as for the Russian and Belarusian markets. The “street value” of one gram of such drugs is about EUR 20 to EUR 25.
Ruks said police have yet to find a link between this narcotics production site and crime lord Jurijs Spiridonovs or members of his criminal group detained last month.