- Статьи
- Society
- A killer reason: the Russian Federation began to actively supply the drug to 5 thousand. Times stronger than heroin
A killer reason: the Russian Federation began to actively supply the drug to 5 thousand. Times stronger than heroin
Russian law enforcement agencies began to regularly seize shipments of a deadly synthetic drug, carfentanyl. Designed as a tranquilizer for large animals — elephants and rhinos, it is 5 thousand once stronger than heroin, the lethal dose for humans is only 0.002 milligrams. Previously, drug couriers with such a substance were rarely detained. But in 2024-2025, a dozen and a half arrests occurred, at least 1.1 kg of drugs containing carfentanyl were seized from drug dealers, Izvestia found out. This mostly happens in Siberia and the Far East, as the drug is supplied from China. Why drug dealers are increasingly focusing on "synthetics" and how dangerous such substances are is described in the Izvestia article.
Where was carfentanil seized
In Russia, law enforcement officers have increasingly begun to seize the extremely dangerous synthetic drug carfentanil. Izvestia came to this conclusion after analyzing data from law enforcement agencies in recent years.
The drug belongs to synthetic opioids and is a derivative of fentanyl. It was first synthesized in 1974 by Janssen. Her study indicated that carfentanil in 5 thousand It is 10 times stronger than heroin and 10 thousand times stronger. One is morphine. It is a sedative for particularly large mammals, such as elephants, rhinos, buffaloes, and antelopes, and is not intended for anesthesia in humans.
Reports from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime describe this drug as the most powerful commercially available opioid in the world. The lethal dose for humans is only 2 micrograms (0.002 mg), they remind. That is, 500 million people can die from a kilogram of this drug in its pure form. It is usually distributed by mixing it with other substances.
Until 2024, cases of carfentanyl detection in Russia were rare. But over the past year, law enforcement agencies have conducted about ten such arrests. And since the beginning of 2025, there have already been at least four such operations. According to estimates by Izvestia, based on official sources of information, at least 1 kg of substances containing carfentanyl were seized last year, and about 100 grams this year.
In Russia, carfentanil is included in the List of Psychotropic Substances subject to control by government decree — substances in this list cannot be freely sold. When a significant weight of a batch of carfentanyl is seized, 0.002 grams is considered, large — from 0.01 grams, especially large — from two grams. For comparison, heroin has a significant weight of 0.5 g, large — from 2.5 g, especially large — from 1 kilogram.
In April 2025, police in the Altai Territory seized 20 sachets of a substance containing carfentanyl with a total weight of about 47 grams from a 27-year-old local resident.
"The detainee explained that he worked as a wholesale drug courier for a "shadow" online store and, on the instructions of the curator, planned to sell a batch of synthetics on the territory of Barnaul, using packages with magnets to disguise them," the press service of the Interior Ministry reported.
In addition, in April of this year, a woman was detained in the Kurgan region with 40 grams of a substance intended for sale. In the Khabarovsk Territory, the police stopped a man who had 13 bags with 2.2 grams of the drug. He planned to make a bookmark at a street lamp. Another 0.5 grams were seized in Kemerovo.
In September 2024, in the Kemerovo region, law enforcement officers detained a 55-year-old gypsy woman who had previously been convicted of drug trafficking.
"During a personal search, a package containing about 200 grams of carfentanyl was seized from the passenger, which is an especially large size. The suspect hid it in her underwear," the Interior Ministry's press service said.
A week earlier, a shipment of substances containing a deadly drug weighing 700 grams was seized in the same region. The drug courier hired a taxi to bring the substance to Kemerovo for further distribution. The cost of such a batch of drugs is estimated at about 12 million rubles.
In August, in Kemerovo, police found packages with 16 grams of the drug in the apartment of a local resident. The detainee confessed that he works as a pawnbroker. And in Novosibirsk, a 42-year-old substance trafficker was detained after 6.5 grams of the substance were found at her home. They also seized electronic scales with remnants of a prohibited substance, coils of electrical tape and small packages for packaging.
More than 100 grams of banned substances with carfentanyl were seized from distributors in Kurgan. In addition, the Interior Ministry reported that "a particularly large batch of drugs" was found in Syzran. The exact weight of the drug was not reported.
How carfentanyl is traded
Most often, the dangerous drug was seized in Siberia, the Urals and the Far East. The territorial factor of its distribution is not accidental, explained a source of Izvestia familiar with the distribution schemes of prohibited substances on the darknet.
"These are shipments from China, which is considered one of the main producers of this substance," he said. — Transportation allows you to transport carfentanyl without problems. In addition, due to the high concentration, it is not carried in kilograms. This means that it is difficult to detect a drug at the border.
According to another source of the publication associated with "shadow" trading platforms, the volume of carfentanyl imported into the country is growing due to the desire of dealers to expand the geography of sales after strengthening the fight against the spread of this drug in the United States. So, the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned about the rapid growth of its popularity in 2024: 513 deaths were associated with carfentanil in three years.
In early 2025, US President Donald Trump imposed increased tariffs on imports from countries producing opioid drugs. The White House then explained that the reason was the huge threat to national security posed by the traffic of illegal drugs originating from Mexico, China and Canada, "including the deadly fentanyl."
Russian darknet sites are afraid to trade fentanyl, Izvestia found out, because of the high probability of deaths. Thus, the rules of the two largest such resources prescribe a ban on the distribution of fentanyl and its derivatives. Carfentanyl is also not sold at two more sites.
Most of the ads for the sale of the drug are published by closed channels in messengers. One dose is less than a microgram and is relatively inexpensive. This is due to cheap production — dealers spend their money only on logistics. This is one of the reasons why carfentanil is gaining momentum in the Russian drug market, says narcologist Vasily Shurov.
— Thousands of doses are obtained from one gram of carfentanyl, which is extremely beneficial for sellers. They don't use it in its pure form, but dilute it with other cheap substances," he said. — The drug is not synthesized in Russia. Production requires special conditions and protective equipment, as it is highly toxic. It is easier to save money on setting up a laboratory and supply it from abroad.
The inclusion of potent synthetic opioids in drugs allows drug trafficking networks to reduce the likelihood of interception, since smaller shipments are more difficult to detect, according to the report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 2024.
They recalled that officially carfentanyl for use in veterinary medicine is available in various forms — soaked paper, powder, tablets, patches and spray.
"Taking advantage of gaps in the control regime over the supply chains of veterinary products and less strict regulation, criminal networks organize the diversion to the illegal market and trafficking of veterinary drugs such as ketamine, as well as substances such as xylazine, detomidine and carfentanil," the document says.
The committee's experts believe that in the existing and emerging opioid markets of the world, we can expect an increase in carfentanyl consumption — against the background of stricter control over the production and turnover of fentanyl. In particular, they pointed out that illegal carfentanyl, in addition to the United States, was found in Estonia and Lithuania.
What is the danger of carfentanil?
The preparation of this substance for sale by drug dealers makes it particularly dangerous, narcologist Igor Lazarev told Izvestia.
"When creating doses for sale and packaging, they work with extremely small grams, which makes high accuracy almost impossible," he said.
According to him, the use of such substances causes instant and severe dependence. The effects of drinking also come quickly.
— Taking this drug leads to severe sedation, inhibition of respiratory and cough reflexes, as well as a number of other dangerous symptoms, including drowsiness, lethargy and cardiac disorders. It ends in death," he said.
Taking a drug in combination with other substances can have an unpredictable effect, Vasily Shurov added. Also, he noted, drug traffickers can pass off carfentanyl as more expensive substances without warning that it is much more toxic, which is fraught with fatal outcomes.
The maximum dose of the substance produced and released for medical purposes should not exceed one hundred grams, and it can be used in veterinary medicine only if the organization has a license and other accompanying documents, said Yuri Telegin, a leading lawyer at the European Legal Service.
Illegal use of carfentanyl is an administrative violation (art. 6.9 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation) and entails the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of 4 thousand rubles to 5 thousand. The same punishment is imposed for trafficking in the substance. Nevertheless, if the illicit trafficking of carfentanyl involves a significant, large or especially large amount, then it will be a matter of criminal liability.
— Thus, due to its high concentration, drug dealers not only save on production, but also risk a serious criminal sentence, - said lawyer Oleg Cherkasov.
The punishment for such actions entails a fine of up to 500 thousand rubles and imprisonment for up to three years and up to life, he recalled.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
