Four men were arrested on suspicion that they had been smuggling drugs from Ukraine’s Odessa. The police found about 10 kilograms of synthetic drugs alfa-PVP whose value on the black market rises to 8 million lei, IPN reports.

According to the General Police Inspectorate, the drugs were seized from two members of the criminal group who were passengers of a minibus running on the Odessa-Chisinau route. The drugs were hidden in dog food packs and were seized at the North Bus Station in Chisinau after having been followed from the Tudora customs post. The leader of the group and the fourth member were arrested later, separately.

The Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime and Special Cases said the four persons are aged between 18 and 31. Their leader, aged 30, is being tried for drug distribution in two cases within which property worth about 2.2 million lei was sequestrated.

The investigated persons formed a group at the beginning of 2023 and sold drugs in Chisinau, Cahul, and Balti. The four men were remanded in custody for 30 days.

The police note that the alfa-PVP drugs in the form of white or pink crystals called “salt” can cause paranoia or hallucinations that can lead to the self-mutilation of those who use them.