Police: Investigations Continue into How Drugs Were Smuggled into the Country and to Whom They Were Distributed

Sharing new details in court, the police stated that investigations are ongoing into how drugs were smuggled into the country and to whom they were distributed. Following the arrest of Oleksii Pakholvhak in connection with the 4.5 kilograms of drugs seized in the Artificial Intelligence Operation in Kyrenia, Vladyslav Alıstratov and Predein Ruslan were brought back to court.

Police officer Haluk Ceylan, presenting the facts in court, stated that in October 2023, information was received by the Narcotics and Smuggling Prevention Directorate based on a tip that a foreign national, directed by an unidentified individual via social media and artificial intelligence, was throwing various drugs in different locations in the Kyrenia region, taking photos, and sending them along with their location. Following this, the police conducted an operation at the apartment of the suspect Oleksii Pakholvhak, who resided in a site guarded by private security personnel on Kurtuluş Street in Kyrenia, on February 6, 2023. The police mentioned that a search was conducted by a team from the Narcotics and Smuggling Prevention Directorate at the suspect's residence. During the search conducted between 19:50 and 21:00, items including 1.3 kilograms of Mephedrone, 500 grams of Magic Mushrooms, 10 grams of cocaine, 10 grams of amphetamine, 200 grams of cannabis, cannabis oil, 120 grams of hashish believed to contain narcotics, 20 grams of liquid for electronic cigarettes believed to contain narcotics, 3 grams of MDMA, and 1.8 kilograms of chocolate believed to contain narcotics were seized as evidence.

The police stated that during the investigation of Pakholvhak, it was learned that on February 3, 2024, he left two packets of food containing drugs at a market on Kurtuluş Street in Kyrenia. Following an investigation on February 8, 2024, it was determined through surveillance camera footage in the area that Vladyslav Alıstratov and Predein Ruslan were the individuals who came to collect the packages. The two suspects were identified and arrested in Kyrenia.

During the search conducted at Vladyslav Alıstratov's residence on February 8, between 15:30 and 16:00, items including 2 grams of cocaine, 1 LSD stamp, 1 purple-colored narcotic pill with "La Case de papel" motif, approximately 1 gram of MDMA, 5 grams of Mephedrone, approximately 1 gram of cannabis mixed with tobacco, approximately 1 gram of hashish, 5 grams of Magic Mushrooms, a precision scale, approximately 30 grams of cannabis oil, and approximately 50 grams of soap believed to contain narcotics were found in the kitchen. The police mentioned that no illegal items were found during the search at Predein Ruslan's residence.

The police officer stated that Oleksii Pakholvhak voluntarily provided a statement on February 6, 2024, and the other two suspects also voluntarily confessed to their crimes the previous day. The investigation is ongoing, and three statements have been obtained, along with the examination of four camera recordings. The police announced that the data from the suspects' cell phones will also be examined and requested that they remain in custody for an additional 8 days.

The lawyer for Oleksii Pakholvhak and Predein Ruslan, Aslı Seldağ, did not object to the 8-day extension requested for investigative purposes.

Assessing the testimony before him, Judge Evren Mürsel ordered the suspects to remain in custody for 8 days.