Czech, Moldovan police uncover large drug trafficking ring

PRAGUE, March 21 (Xinhua) -- The Czech and Moldovan police have uncovered a large network of drug traffickers, police officers from the Czech and Moldovan anti-drug squads said at a press conference on Wednesday.

They detained 19 Czechs and Moldavians. The group is believed to have smuggled cocaine and Ecstasy from the Netherlands, and grown marijuana in the Czech Republic. The drugs were then sold to dealers who distributed them in Prague, Brno, Austria and Moldavia.

According to police, the drug network was extensive and sophisticated, having used highly sophisticated cybernetic methods such as logistics and accounting in a virtual environment.

Czech anti-drug squad director Jakub Frydrych said the group members are suspected of having communicated with each other via unusual means and developed a special application to monitor the stocks, debts, and new drug orders over several years. He said the drugs in the Czech Republic were designed especially for the Prague and Brno markets.

Czech police arrested 14 suspects while the Moldovan police arrested five. The main suspect is a Czech man who organized the business from the Czech Republic. The offenders are aged 20 to 28 years, and one of them is 56. They face up to 18 years in jail.

The Czech anti-drug squad uncovered about 13,000 Ecstasy pills, 1.5 kg of cocaine and 2.4 kg of marijuana during the search of a home in February, said Frydrych. He said cocaine was also exported to Austria, and Ecstasy tablets were destined for the Moldovan market.

Austrian and Dutch police also participated in the investigation.

Moldovan police said they uncovered the ring when investigating a simple drug distribution case in Moldova. They suspected that one of the group members had transported drugs across the border. Enditem