Police catch two drug couriers in Rakvere, over 300 stashes found across Estonia
In mid-September, two young men aged 21 and 24 were detained in Rakvere on suspicion of stashing narcotics across Estonia. Police discovered narcotics in more than 300 stashes, including cocaine, cannabis and MDMA.
Two drug couriers caught in Rakvere red-handed
According to Lounaeestlane.ee, police detained two young men – aged 21 and 24 – in Rakvere on 15 September on suspicion of carrying out drug courier tasks across Estonia. The suspects travelled by car from Tallinn to Rakvere on the same day to weigh and package narcotics and place roughly a few hundred grammes of cocaine in a designated area.
During the investigation, police have established that the two young men may be connected to approximately 450 stashes in total in Lääne-Viru County, Tallinn, Rapla, Viljandi and Jõhvi. In recent weeks, police officers across Estonia have checked possible stash locations, and narcotics were found in more than 300 of them. The confiscated substances include cocaine, cannabis, amphetamine and MDMA – the exact composition and quantity will be determined through expert examination.
Rainet Juuse, head of the criminal bureau of the Eastern Prefecture, described how the investigation began from interest in the scope of the young men's activities. "We involved police officers across Estonia in identifying the stashes. So far we have established that the suspects were recruited as drug couriers via the Telegram messaging application. How and where exactly the young men obtained the substance and who gave them their tasks will be clarified during the criminal proceedings," said Juuse.
Juuse also warned those to whom drug crime might seem like quick earnings. "Although it may seem to a person that they are operating anonymously and will never be caught, sooner or later police will find out about their activities. Then instead of quick income, they face serious consequences," he added.
Kalmer Kask, the prosecutor handling the case, noted that both young men had no previous criminal convictions. "We are seeing an increasing number of cases where young adults or people suffering from addiction disorders are recruited into criminal chains. With what seems like a simple opportunity to earn money, people do not consider that this is the most risky kind of work and that it is not possible to leave the criminal chain at any moment," Kask observed.
Juuse emphasised that the relocation of drug crime to the internet and the use of stash systems have increased recently. "This is a contactless, convenient and quick method for criminals to supply narcotic substances to clients. In practical terms, it is like ordering food for home delivery, where the person ordering the substance can choose both the area and the substance," he explained.
The investigation is being conducted by the Eastern Prefecture, with the Viru Regional Prosecutor's Office overseeing the case.
Source: Google News EE — Crime (et)