Online Network Of Drug Traffickers Busted In Romania

Law enforcement authorities in several regions of Romania arrested 58 suspects. They are believed to be connected to a criminal organization that distributed narcotics in the country.

The Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) performed 68 house searches and detained 58 alleged members of a drug distribution ring in Timis, Arad, Caras-Severin and Hunedoara. According to police information, these counties were serving as the distribution centers for the criminals.

The investigation started in October 2015, when law enforcement authorities discovered that the suspects set up a whole organization for drug distribution. According to officials, the criminals ordered narcotics, including ecstasy, amphetamines, and hallucinogenic mushrooms, from the Netherlands using online platforms (possibly dark web, but it is not mentioned in the article). They also cultivated cannabis in different regions of Romania.

The suspects sold the narcotics (which they either ordered online or cultivated themselves) to customers they trusted. They were also extremely careful with the locations, the dealers always chose the place and time, which they planned beforehand. The gang’s security was really tight, only the inner circle of the criminal group held the key telephone contacts, which they did not disclose with lower rank members. Police information also stated that a club located in Timisoara served as the center of the operation.

Law enforcement authorities uncovered the full structure of the criminal organization. They listed three “tiers”, showing the ranks and the characteristics of the members in each.

Tier I, the highest ranking of all members, includes criminals who were responsible for the supply of the narcotics. They procured large quantities of drugs from various sources, including cannabis plantations in the region of Timisoara and from abroad countries, such as the Netherlands.

Tier II includes intermediary dealers whose major role were to mediate transactions between the members of Tier I and III. Level 2 criminals purchased large quantities of drugs from Tier I, which they traded away to their own circle of customers and to Tier III members.

Tier III, the lowest level of all members of the criminal group, consisted of street dealers who purchased narcotics from the suspects on the first two levels, which they sold to their own circle of customers.

Law enforcement authorities intercepted several narcotics packages of the criminal organization. They ordered wholesale quantities of drugs from abroad. For example, one parcel contained 1 kg of amphetamines and over 1,000 ecstasy pills. The package arrived from the Netherlands and was expected to be delivered to Romania via the national postal service. During October 2016 to January 2017, police seized six packages containing high-risk narcotics.

The DIICOT expects around 80 persons to be brought to the headquarters for questioning. During the police operation, the Directorate of Special Operations provided specialized support to the DIICOT. Additionally, the organized crime divisions of the police participated in the action in Oradea, Hunedoara, Timis, Arad and Caras-Severin.