Subregional anti-drug operation "Channel - Nevsky Shield" was conducted

From 18 to 22 July, this year, the competent authorities of the CSTO member States conducted a subregional anti-drug operation "Channel - Nevsky Shield" with the aim of increasing the level of practical cooperation between the member States of the Collective Security Treaty Organization and other countries to suppress the channels of cocaine, new psychoactive substances, drugs of opium and cannabis groups.

The International Coordination Staff (ICS) for the operation was deployed in St. Petersburg, the Russian Federation.

Law enforcement structures, border and customs authorities, state security services and financial intelligence units of the CSTO member States participated in the event.

Operation participants had the opportunity to strengthen direct contacts between the competent authorities of the CSTO member States and the Eurasian states, and to establish cooperation with colleagues from the observer states in order to coordinate their work and increase the effectiveness of interaction.

Representatives from the Islamic Republic of Iran, Interpol, the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism, the Committee of Heads of Law Enforcement Units of CIS Customs Services, the CIS Anti-Terrorist Center, the Bureau for Coordination of Combating Organized Crime and Other Dangerous Types of Crime on the Territory of the CIS Member States, the Coordinating Council of Border Troops Commanders of the CIS Member States, the Central Asian Border Guard Service of the CIS Member States, and the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Center for Combating Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and their Precursors, the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure participated as observers.

More than 15,000 members of the competent authorities were involved in the "Channel-Nevsky Shield" operation. As a result of coordinated action, according to preliminary data, more than one ton of drugs have been withdrawn from illegal circulation on the territory of the CSTO countries, including about 119 kg of marijuana, more than 700 kg of drug plants, more than 102 kg of hashish, more than 11 kg of mephedrone and almost 4 kg of methamphetamine, 436 g of heroin and 10 tons of precursors.

492 drug crimes were detected. Thirty-one drug gangs were exposed. 579 people were brought to administrative responsibility for illegal drug operations. 519 Internet sites were detected through which the illegal information on drugs was disseminated. 76 firearms and about 1,221 ammunition were seized.

In the course of the operation, the financial intelligence units of the Eurasian Group member States identified suspicious financial transactions, presumably connected with the legalization of drug proceeds totaling about 107 million rubles.

In addition, the competent authorities of the CSTO member States conducted a number of international controlled deliveries. Several channels for smuggling controlled compounds were uncovered and disrupted.

The ICS participants visited the Seaport of St. Petersburg and “Torfyanovka” International Automobile Checkpoint located on the Russian-Finnish border, where they became acquainted with the work of customs and border services. Examination equipment and sniffer dogs were demonstrated. Event participants exchanged their experience in detection of drugs.

Employees of the special "Thunder" unit of the General Directorate for Drug Trafficking Control of the Internal Affairs of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region demonstrated practical actions of detention of armed drug traffickers.

The results of the operation "Channel" were summarized by the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Andrei Ivanovich Khrapov. The CSTO Deputy Secretary General Semerikov Valery Anatolyevich participated in summarizing the results.

Joint work to strengthen and expand cooperation in combating drug trafficking will continue.