The Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus defines criminal liability for the illegal trafficking of narcotic drugs, and depending on the severity of the committed crime, provides for punishment up to 15 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.
At the same time, persons who voluntarily surrender narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their precursors, and actively contribute to the detection or suppression of a crime related to the illegal trafficking of these substances, the identification of persons who committed them, the discovery of property obtained by criminal means, are exempted from criminal liability for this crime.
The state policy in the sphere of combating illegal drug trafficking is aimed at the complete eradication of such a phenomenon.
This is supported by the new Law of the Republic of Belarus No. 408-Z "On Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances, their Precursors and Analogues".
The aforementioned Law defines the legal and organizational framework for state policy in the sphere of circulation and combating illegal circulation of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their precursors and analogues, and is also aimed at preventing the consumption of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their analogues in order to ensure national security, protect the life and health of citizens.
In addition,the law significantly expanded the list of prohibited substances and preparations not used for medical purposes, which are classified as narcotic, and, accordingly, their illegal circulation is also punishable by criminal law.
Criminals in this category of criminal cases include persons of various categories.
In our case, a resident of Vitebsk, born in 1997, previously convicted for committing a crime under Part 1 of Article 328 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus, intending to illegally acquire, store particularly dangerous psychotropic substances without the purpose of sale, as well as transport them, being in a state caused by the consumption of psychotropic substances, purchased a psychotropic substance through a mobile application, picked it up at a designated location, and intentionally transported it with him in a taxi without the purpose of sale. Upon detention by police officers, he attempted to throw away a packet with the psychotropic substance. He fully admitted his guilt and explained during the preliminary investigation that he acquired this substance for his own consumption, without the purpose of sale, and repented of his actions.
By the verdict of the Zheleznodorozhny District Court of Vitebsk, he was sentenced to three years of imprisonment with serving the sentence in a correctional colony under a general regime.
Assistant to the Vitebsk Transport
Prosecutor
Junior Justice Advisor V.O. Shevernovskaya