The DIICOT prosecutor’s office arrested 13 drug traffickers who brought from the Netherlands through courier companies a large quantity of psychoactive substances (alpha-PHiP), which are used to make “Zombie”, a new drug that is very popular among street users in Bucharest.

According to the Office for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), cited by Agerpres, the 13 human traffickers are part of two groups with a clearly defined hierarchy and authority that operated in Bucharest to obtain important material benefits from the sale of the psychoactive substance alpha-PHiP.

Drugs were brought from the Netherlands through courier companies and usually hidden in postal parcels.

Later, through a pyramid system of sellers, drugs were distributed to consumers in Bucharest either on the street or at the seller’s home.

To maximize profits, the doses sold to consumers were mixed with various excipients, so that about 500 grams of pure alpha-PHiP could yield about 20,000 doses. When selling at a price of 10 lei per envelope, a profit of more than 200,000 lei (40,000 euros) was obtained.

The prosecutor’s office claims that human traffickers imported more than 4 kilograms of the alpha-PHiP substance into the country from 2022 to 2024.

The Zombie drug has been a problem in Bucharest for several years because it is extremely dangerous, costs very little, and is preferred by street people.