A 30-year-old resident of Nevinnomyssk has been detained in Mineralnye Vody after ordering illicit psychotropic and potent medicines from India, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported.
Customs officers in the south Russian city intercepted the overseas shipment, removing 240 tablets and more than 1,000 capsules valued at over one million rubles from illicit circulation.
Police officers apprehended the suspect at a local post office while he was collecting a package. A subsequent search of his residence yielded an additional 19 grams of potent substances, four grams of psychotropic materials, a laptop, several mobile phones, and blank medication prescription forms.
According to law enforcement, the man ordered the pharmaceuticals from abroad to distribute through websites in Russia. He allegedly operated using fictitious post office accounts, electronic accounts at credit companies, and third-party proxies to collect the parcels.
Legal charges and penalties
Police have launched a criminal case under Article 226.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which covers the smuggling of potent substances.
If convicted of the offense, the suspect faces up to seven years in prison along with a fine of up to one million rubles.
Regional transport and legal framework
Mineralnye Vody and Nevinnomyssk are neighboring cities located in the Stavropol Krai territory of southwestern Russia. Mineralnye Vody serves as a primary transport hub for the region, housing a major railway junction and an international airport with dedicated postal sorting facilities.
Article 226.1 of Russia's criminal code addresses the illegal smuggling of strong substances, poisonous materials, and restricted medical goods across the customs border of the Eurasian Economic Union. Federal customs services regularly screen international mail arriving from foreign prescription suppliers.
The investigation was reported by RIA Novosti, Russia's primary state news agency. Russian law enforcement agencies and customs officials have increasingly targeted black-market online distribution schemes that rely on postal parcels and unregistered digital payment platforms to sell illegal foreign pharmaceuticals inside the country.
