Drug Kingpins Extradited to Russia
Two Russians, Andrey Bykov, 31, and his wife Evgenia, 43, have been delivered to Moscow after being arrested in March of last year in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the request of Russian law enforcement involved in an investigation of international narcotics channels. Former Soviet citizen Alexander Bely, who headed the South African operation that exported ephedrine, an ingredient in methamphetamine, is still at large.
Russian police uncovered the operation in October 2004, when road police stopped a car in Kazan and discovered 2 kg. of ephedrine in it. Investigators say that the Bykovs received 97 shipments of ephedrine from South Africa between 2003 and 2005, buying it in Johannesburg for $3000 per kilogram and selling it in St. Petersburg for $13,000 for the same amount. The ephedrine was brought into Russia through the mail under the guise of bath salts and in return more than $1 million was transferred in payments of $1000-1500 to Bely in South Africa using international transfer systems.
Bely used his connections as a member of the Hell's Angles motorcyclists' group to obtain ephedrine, which was distributed through a chain of dealers in Russia. New dealers were only admitted after a personal interview with Bely in South Africa. A Russian undercover policeman was able to purchase 12 kg. of ephedrine from Bely in South Africa, after which arrest warrants were issued in Russia and South Africa. The Bykovs were able to flee to South Africa before being apprehended, however.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Sep. 25, 2007
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