A 33-year-old native of the Zhytomyr region was selling PVP “salts” and cannabis right on the grounds of the hospital where he was receiving treatment. During searches, authorities also seized plastic explosives and a grenade with a fuse from the suspect.
In Berehove District, a court handed down a harsh guilty verdict to a 33-year-old man who had set up a trade in particularly dangerous psychotropic substances directly on the premises of a medical facility. For the crimes committed, the drug dealer will spend seven years behind bars, and all of his property will be confiscated.
The final court decision was reported by the Main Directorate of the National Police in Zakarpattia Oblast.
Selling Psychotropic Substances Right from a Hospital Bed
As investigators and operatives established, the criminal activity was organized by a 33-year-old native of Zhytomyr Oblast, who at the time was undergoing inpatient treatment at one of the medical facilities in Berehove District:
- Drug trafficking in the hospital: using his hospital room and the facility’s grounds as a sales point, the suspect sought out buyers and sold them synthetic psychotropic drugs in person;
- Caught in the act: On January 18, law enforcement officers from the Transcarpathian Police, together with employees of the Security Service of Ukraine, detained the drug dealer directly during another meeting with a client and the transfer of a dose of the prohibited substance in exchange for money.
Seized drugs, a grenade, and plastic explosives
During urgent investigative actions and searches, police officers discovered and seized not only illegal substances but also a dangerous arsenal of weapons from the suspect:
- more than 22 grams of the particularly dangerous psychotropic substance PVP (so-called “salts”);
- pre-packaged bags of the narcotic substance cannabis;
- a combat grenade with a fuse and a block of plastic explosive (plastid).
All seized physical evidence underwent the appropriate forensic and chemical analyses.
Court verdict: 7 years in prison with confiscation of property
Based on the irrefutable body of evidence gathered by police investigators, the court found the defendant guilty on two serious counts under the Criminal Code of Ukraine:
- Article 307 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—the illegal production, manufacture, acquisition, storage, transportation, shipment, or sale of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, or their analogues;
- Part 1 of Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—illegal handling of weapons, ammunition, or explosive substances.
For the aggregate of these crimes, the court sentenced the defendant to 7 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.
Source: Main Directorate of the National Police in Zakarpattia Oblast.
