Officers of the Criminal Police Organized Crime Investigation Department of Marijampole County Chief Police Commissariat (AVPK) are conducting a pre-trial investigation related to the distribution of psychotropic substances to minors.
This investigation was presented in more detail at the press conference held on Thursday at the Kaunas District Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the information of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Lithuania and the Marijampolė AVPK, the pre-trial investigation was started when the Marijampolė AVPK officers started receiving information from the Admission and Intensive Therapy Departments of the Marijampolė hospital that minors were being brought in, poisoned with e-cigarette liquid, possibly containing psychotropic substances. “There were cases when minors were brought to the hospital unconscious.
The age of the victims is from 12 to 18 years. There are more than two victims,” said Edgaras Charisovas, head of the Organized Crime Investigation Department of the Marijampolė AVPK Criminal Police.
When the investigation began, it became clear that e-cigarette liquid distributors were possibly mixing the liquid with psychotropic substances, choosing the concentration of the substances at their own discretion. The liquid with mixed psychotropic substances was distributed by both adults and minors in public places of Marijampole county, youth gathering points and educational institutions. According to E. Charisov, searches were also carried out in schools. Liquids with psychotropic substances were also found during them.
This year we have 13 pre-trial investigations into the distribution of narcotics to minors. Last year we had that much for the whole year. The number of such cases is definitely increasing. Eight pre-trial investigations have been initiated this year by the Kaunas County Criminal Investigation Department, two in Alytus, and three in Marijampolė. My message is very simple: we have a lot of critical cases. I invite everyone to come together and provide information so that such distributors are identified,” said Darius Valkavičius, chief prosecutor of the Kaunas District Prosecutor’s Office.
In the last few weeks, nine persons were arrested in the city of Kaunas and Marijampole county, who were involved in the production, distribution and disposal of e-cigarette liquid with psychotropic substances mixed in it. 15 searches were carried out, during which a very large amount of e-cigarette liquid mixed with psychotropic substances was found and seized. This amount is enough to make 5000 doses. After carrying out chemical examinations of this liquid, several types of extremely rare psychotropic substances were found mixed in it.
In order not to be tracked, the suspects followed strict security requirements: they executed orders only through mobile applications, used passwords, and part of the payments were not made in cash, but in crypto-currency. The drug dealers had no physical contact with the buyers, the narcotic substances were transferred by leaving them in places not discussed in advance, and only later by sending the coordinates of those places to the buyer. Passwords used are “50”, “100” and “1000”. The first two symbols are used by distributors to refer to liquids that are not diluted with psychotropic substances. “1000” – when a liquid diluted with psychotropic substances is distributed. It is observed that teenagers become addicted to this liquid. The payment was 20 euros for one dose of liquid.
The suspects are residents of Kaunas city and Marijampole counties, aged between 19 and 23. Most of them are unemployed, some of them are registered with the Employment Service, among the suspects there are also schoolchildren. In the past, some of the suspects were tried for intentional crimes. All of them are subject to pre-trial detention – written promises not to leave.
The investigation is led by Nomeda Urbonavičienė, prosecutor of the Organized Crime and Corruption Investigation Department of the Kaunas District Prosecutor’s Office. The pre-trial investigation is carried out by the officers of the Organized Crime Investigation Department of the Marijampolė AVPK Criminal Police.
