MOSCOW. July 22 (Interfax-AVN) - Criminal investigation department officials have confiscated more than 15 kilograms of heroin and 500 grams of hashish in the Moscow region.
"Acting on a tip-off that a deal was being prepared to sell a large haul of drugs from Tajikistan, officers of the criminal investigation department of the Russian Interior Ministry launched efforts to identify the persons who could be involved in this illegal business," the criminal investigation department said in a press release on Wednesday.
The drug dealers were detained in Pushkin district outside Moscow while trying to sell 14 kilograms of heroin and 500 grams of hashish.
However, it was established that the criminals had 15 kilograms of heroin and 500 grams of hashish.
"According to estimates of the department's officials and the prices on the black market, this haul could fetch up to 26 million rubles," the department said.
Apart from the drug dealers, officers also detained a person responsible for selling drugs across Russia.
This operation helped dismantle one of the major channels used to smuggle drugs into Russia, the press release said.
A criminal case has been opened based on charges of the illegal production, purchase, storage, transportation and sale of a large amount of narcotic substances, the department said.
All arrested people are currently being held in a pre-trial detention center in the Moscow region.