Drug trafficking network dismantled in Constanța: six arrested, leader coordinated from prison
Six members of an organised crime group in Constanța county have been arrested on remand after police seized approximately 550 grams of high-risk drugs.
Six arrested after dismantling of drug trafficking network coordinated from prison
Police officers from the Organised Crime Combat Brigade in Constanța, alongside prosecutors from the Organised Crime and Terrorism Investigation Directorate – Constanța Territorial Service, have dismantled a group specialised in high-risk drug trafficking, reports Google News RO — Crime (ro). All six members were arrested on remand on 21 August 2026, by order of the judge for rights and freedoms at Constanța Court.
35-year-old leader coordinated operations from behind bars
Investigations established that, starting from February 2026, a 35-year-old man, imprisoned in a penitentiary in Bucharest, formed the nucleus of the group alongside a woman who was a family member and another man. Subsequently, two other persons joined the network. The pyramidal structure of the group gave the leader control over the objectives, operating methods and distribution of profits from the sale of narcotic substances.
Well-defined roles within the network
The woman in the group acted as intermediary between the leader and the other members. She was responsible for ordering drugs from abroad and paying for them using cryptocurrency, with the substances being brought into Romania through courier companies. She also ensured the supply of malva tea, used in the preparation of drugs and psychoactive substances.
A 27-year-old man monitored deliveries, assisted in the preparation of drugs in their final form for street sales and ensured the protection of the aforementioned woman. Another member, aged 33, collected packages from the courier, stored them and sold them, subsequently handing over the money obtained in exchange for a percentage of sales. A fifth suspect, aged 31, a subcontractor of a courier company, tracked the route of packages and facilitated their delivery, in turn receiving sums of money.
Flagrant arrest on 20 August: 250 grams of ADB-BUTINACA and ADB-4en-PINACA seized
On 20 August 2026, police officers organised a flagrant arrest operation. The 33-year-old man collected a package from the courier company subcontractor and was caught at the moment he handed the woman a package containing approximately 250 grams of high-risk drug — ADB-BUTINACA and ADB-4en-PINACA — substances in powder form.
Investigations also established that in August 2026, the leader of the group and the woman purchased drugs from the Netherlands that were brought into Romania through an international courier.
Searches in Constanța and in penitentiary, a further 300 grams seized
Immediately after the flagrant arrest, authorities executed eight search warrants at homes in Constanța municipality, in two other localities in the county and in the penitentiary unit where the leader was imprisoned. Approximately 300 grams of ADB-BUTINACA were seized, some of it already portioned and packaged for sale, substances used in preparation, items with traces of substance, sums of money in Romanian lei and Turkish lire, as well as other pieces of evidence.
The operation benefited from the support of gendarmes from the Mobile Gendarmerie Group Constanța.
Six defendants, serious charges of organised crime
On 21 August 2026, the judge for rights and freedoms at Constanța Court ordered the remand arrest of all six defendants. They are being investigated for the formation of an organised criminal group, international trafficking in high-risk drugs, domestic trafficking in high-risk drugs and the carrying out, without authorisation, of operations with products likely to have psychoactive effects.
According to Constanța Police Inspectorate, throughout the entire criminal proceedings, the persons under investigation benefit from the rights and procedural guarantees provided by the Criminal Procedure Code, including the presumption of innocence.
Source: Google News RO — Crime (ro)