Uzbek leader of an organized criminal group detained in Russia

A court in St. Petersburg has ordered the arrest of the suspected head of a regional division of an interregional criminal group involved in drug trafficking between 2021 and 2023. Among the group’s members is an Uzbek national. This was reported by the joint press service of the city’s courts.

“The Pushkin District Court of St. Petersburg has ruled to place Valeriy Kostilev in custody. He is accused under Part 1 of Article 210 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (establishing a criminal organization), Part 3 of Article 30 in conjunction with Part 5 of Article 228.1 (attempted illegal trafficking of drugs on an especially large scale, two episodes), and Part 3 of Article 30 in conjunction with Part 4 (a, g) of Article 228.1 (the same offense on a large scale). The preventive measure is set until April 9,” the statement said.

It was clarified that the suspect was detained on February 10. During the court hearing, he requested house arrest or a ban on certain activities instead of pretrial detention.

According to case materials, investigators believe the criminal organization operated from November 2021 to March 2023 in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Saratov, the Moscow and Ivanovo regions, Krasnodar Krai, and other parts of Russia.

Authorities said that citizens of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan were among the participants of the organized criminal group. Law enforcement officers identified at least 13 episodes of drug trafficking. During the arrests, officers seized a total of 32 kg of hashish, 24 kg of heroin, 5 kg of methadone, 2 kg of opium, as well as amphetamine and tetrahydrocannabinol. According to investigators, Kostilev personally attempted to sell hashish, heroin, and methadone.