A large drug laboratory producing mephedrone has been shut down in the Karaganda region. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
Police officers conducted operational-search activities related to the laboratory and detained two members of a transnational criminal group. According to the investigation's version, the group members intended to manufacture and subsequently illegally distribute narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances on an especially large scale in Kazakhstan and neighboring states.
Two suspects detained
As a result of operational-search and investigative measures, two suspects aged 48 and 28 were detained. According to investigation data, the 48-year-old suspect was responsible for the organizational issues of the criminal group. He recruited new participants and coordinated their actions. The 28-year-old suspect directly organized the work of the laboratory and trained new participants in methods of manufacturing narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, police said.
Items seized during the search
During a search on the territory of the laboratory, an industrial tank with a volume of 50 tonnes was discovered. It contained approximately 16 tonnes of used product and liquid. In addition, two containers with a volume of one tonne each, three 20-liter canisters and 10 polymer bags with residues of powdery substances were seized.
For examination, 10 liters of sample were taken from the industrial tank. According to specialists' conclusions, mephedrone was detected in the provided sample. The weight of the narcotic substance in the examined sample was 1 kilogram 723 grams, the report says.
Value of the substance estimated at 40 billion tenge
According to preliminary calculations by specialists, taking into account the volume of the discovered substance and the results of the examination, the probable volume of finished mephedrone could reach up to 2 tonnes. Its preliminary value on the illegal market is estimated at up to 40 billion tenge.
A preventive measure in the form of detention was applied to both suspects. The pre-trial investigation is currently ongoing.