In the center of the capital, during searches of the homes of drug dealers, investigators found more than 3,600 sachets of the new psychoactive substance Alpha-PHiP. The new drug, known as “Zombie”, is sold for 10 lei per dose in the University, Uniri and Colcea districts of Bucharest.

DIICOT announced on Friday that 10 people have been detained in this case, and seven more are under judicial control for unlawfully conducting operations with psychoactive substances. One of the detainees is also under investigation for illegal trafficking of dangerous drugs. The 10 arrested traffickers were brought to the Bucharest court, which ordered preventive arrest for three of them, house arrest for six others and judicial control for one person.

“Zombie” 10 lei per dose

According to prosecutors, between January and October 2023, the suspects stored psychoactive substances for sale (Alpha-PHiP, a new psychoactive substance from the class of synthetic cathinones) and sold or brokered the sale of such substances to consumers in Bucharest.

They sold drugs especially in the center of the capital – Unirii, Colțea, Universitate and on the surrounding streets, the interaction between sellers and customers took place directly, on the street. A bag with such a substance was sold for 10 lei, prosecutors say.

After searches in Bucharest and Ilfov in this case, 3,610 sachets containing Alpha-PHiP (a new psychoactive substance), approximately 50 grams of NSP (new psychoactive substances), approximately 5 grams of cannabis, electronic scales, 12 mobile phones and the sum of 20,200 lei, money received from the sale of drugs.

According to Romanian police, the case includes 41 criminal complaints submitted to the Metropolitan Police and Gendarmerie against gang members, as well as 17 petitions from citizens and businesses in the area.

This drug is known as “Zombie”, it is bought mainly by homeless people in the center of the capital.

• “You get used to it quickly, from the first dose. The threshold of dependence is important, then it comes with physical and mental dependence, in addition, the substance also has a toxic effect on the body, it attacks internal organs, even attacks limbs.
• It causes severe infections, and often users even end up with limb amputation or surgery,” says Cătălin Țone, an anti-drugs expert, quoted by stirileprotv.ro.

In Romania, the age of drug users has decreased to 10-11 years

According to a report published on Thursday by the Ministry of the Interior, the drug trade has increased in Romania, with dealers developing new distribution methods and the age of users falling to 10-11 years old.

At the European level, 29% of people aged 15 to 64 said they had used an illicit drug. By comparison, nationally, 10.7% of people aged 15 to 64 said they had used drugs at least once in their lifetime (experimental use).

According to the report, in which the MAI lists the actions of the police in the field of illegal drug trafficking and consumption, 37 groups were destroyed this year.

• “600 operational measures were carried out, during which about 2,000 searches were carried out;
• 37 organized crime groups, numbering 223 people, were liquidated;
• 7,326 criminal acts were registered, activities are carried out in 22,260 orders issued by DIICOT prosecutors;
• 772 indictments were issued for 2,183 crimes, 1,388 accused, of which 588 were detained/arrested;
• As a result of the operational actions carried out by the police together with the prosecutors of the DIITSOP, 570 kg of drugs, more than 3.2 tons of precursors, about 650 kg of green mass from the drug category and more than 1.5 million tablets were seized from circulation.

For June-August 2023, at the national level, the following was achieved:

• 211 operational measures were carried out;
• 16 organized crime groups were liquidated, 472 persons were brought to court;
• 2,942 criminal acts were registered, activities are carried out in 5,023 orders issued by DIICOT prosecutors;
• 210 kg of drugs were seized from circulation, about 20 illegal drug crops were discovered and destroyed.
• At the level of the Romanian police, in 2023, 8,899 criminal cases accompanied by warrants were received in the fight against drug trafficking and illegal consumption, of which 3,177 files (35.7%) were received between June and August.

Actions from June to August resulted in:

• detection and destructuring approx. 45% of destroyed criminal groups in 2023;
• withdrawal from the market of approximately 40% of the quantity in kg of high and high risk drugs, respectively 80% of high and high risk tablets from the total value, which refers to the current year.