The Higher Court in Belgrade has ordered up to 30 days of detention for three individuals arrested after the seizure of five tons of marijuana in the village of Konjuh near Kruševac.
In a statement, the Higher Court said that on Saturday the judge for preliminary proceedings of the court’s Special Department for Organized Crime issued a decision ordering detention for N. S., R. S., and I. D. They are charged with committing the criminal offense of “unauthorized production and distribution of narcotic drugs.”
The court added that detention was ordered due to the risk of flight, the possibility of influencing witnesses and repeating the criminal offense, as well as due to public disturbance, given that they are suspected of committing a criminal offense punishable by more than 10 years in prison.
An appeal against the detention decision may be filed with the criminal non-trial panel of the Higher Court in Belgrade within three days of receipt of the ruling.
The Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office announced on Saturday that the public prosecutor for organized crime issued an order to conduct an investigation against A. M., N. S., R. S., I. D., and U. M. for the unauthorized production and sale of drugs.
After questioning the suspects, who exercised their legal right and chose to remain silent in their defense, the public prosecutor proposed to the judge for preliminary proceedings of the Special Department for Organized Crime of the Higher Court in Belgrade that detention be ordered for all of them.
Given that the suspect A. M., identified as the organizer of the organized criminal group, is currently on the run, the judge was proposed to issue an international arrest warrant for him.
In its statement, the Prosecutor’s Office said that the organized criminal group operated on an international scale, having procured five tons of marijuana on the territory of North Macedonia from the beginning of January until January 29 of this year.
The drugs were transported across the border by the suspect I. D. to a warehouse belonging to the suspects’ family, where they were taken over by U. M., the Prosecutor’s Office stated, adding that I. D. is a co-owner in Skopje of the company “Alphapharm,” which is registered for the production and processing of medical cannabis.
The proposal for ordering detention was submitted given that this is a record seizure of five tons of marijuana.
Bearing in mind that part of the actions indicate the international character of the criminal offense, particularly in connection with the procurement of narcotic drugs on the territory of North Macedonia, the further course of the investigation will clarify all circumstances of this criminal event, identify all participants, and determine the origin of the drugs.
MORE TOPICS:
Source: Nin, Foto: NIN