NOVAYA GAZETA (Russia)
MOSCOW – Roughly 60% of synthetic narcotics in Europe are made with an ingredient that is illegally exported from Russia, possibly with the help of high-ranking officials in the Russian Drug Enforcement Agency and Security Agency, Novaya Gazeta reports.
The allegations stem from an audit started after a former top-level officer in the Agency accused colleagues of corruption and of protecting traffickers.
The ingredient involved is benzylpiperazine, a drug that was legal in Russia until 2010 and can be used to manufacture ecstasy and amphetamines.
The investigation has not yet been completed, but according to several law enforcement representatives, these accusations could lead to a senior-level shake-up in the two law agencies.
Read the full story in Russian.