Penza, 16 March 2015. PenzaNews. About 15 kg of banned substances, including over 10 kg of synthetic drugs, of a total worth over 20 million rubles was seized from secret caches in Penza and the region by a criminal gang intercepted by the police, the press service of the regional Ministry of Internal Affairs informed PenzaNews agency.

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“The investigators were working on this gang for several months, and documented several acts of criminal activity,” the department explained.

The gang was comprised of 20 persons, all residents of the Penza region, the press service clarified.

“The crime activities involved young people, including underage teenagers. They not only distributed, but also produced synthetic drugs. The gang members took conspiracy very seriously, trying to avoid attention from the law enforcement forces and escape criminal liability,” the police noted.

According to the police, batches of components for drug production, as well as household appliances repurposed for drug baking operations, were seized during searches.

“Several criminal cases were initiated on the basis of what was found. We are conducting the required investigations. The members of the group were placed under pre-trial restraints, ranging from custody to travel restrictions. We are establishing the sources for drug components and their ways to enter the Penza region,” the regional MIA summed up.