Justice Minister: Fight against trafficking psychoactive substances must be waged with all our forces

Justice Minister: Fight against trafficking psychoactive substances must be waged with all our forces

Justice Minister Alina Gorghiu said on Tuesday, after Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) prosecutors raided a criminal group that allegedly produced "VAPE" devices containing substances likely to have psychoactive effects, that the fight against trafficking in such products "must be waged with all our forces."

"The DIICOT investigation in Iasi raises the veil and lets us see the real situation when we talk about psychoactive substances. Between October 2022 and September 2023, an organised criminal group produced over 100,000 'VAPE' devices for sale! All of them contained substances that produce psychoactive effects that endanger the lives of those who consume them. Jellies, cakes and dragees containing such substances were also produced and marketed. Vape devices are usually sold online. But they can also be found in shops in shopping centres. Jellies could be sold to anyone. Regardless of age," Alina Gorghiu wrote on her Facebook page.

According to the minister, a number of 28 companies have been identified that sell such products nationwide.

"The intervention of the authorities in such situations was crucial. I congratulate DIICOT for this investigation and thank the police officers who worked on this complex case! An investigation, in which we are talking about 120 searches in 23 counties and in Bucharest, is not easy! But the fight against the trafficking of psychoactive products must be waged with all our forces. It is unbelievable how some people are able to endanger the lives and health of children and young people in Romania. In such cases, tolerance must be zero. In order to protect our young people and children," says Alina Gorghiu.

Investigators from Iasi carried out, on Tuesday, 121 house searches in 23 counties and in Bucharest, in a case concerning the offences of setting up an organised criminal group and carrying out operations with products knowing that they are likely to have psychoactive effects, without having an authorisation issued under the law.

According to DIICOT, the raids took place in Iasi, Alba, Hunedoara, Sibiu, Neamt, Bacau, Brasov, Constanta, Cluj, Maramures, Dolj, Braila, Galati, Vrancea, Arges, Buzau, Botosani, Suceava, Timis, Arad, Mures, Harghita, Vaslui counties and in Bucharest municipality.

"It has been found that, since the end of 2022, several persons who are employed by or control two commercial companies in Iasi county have formed an organised criminal group with the purpose of importing, exporting, producing, manufacturing and other operations with substances likely to have psychoactive effects. In this context, they produce and market electronic vaping devices and edibles (jellies, cakes, dragees, etc.), knowing that they contain substances likely to have psychoactive effects, identifying during the investigations the substances HHC, HHC-P, HHC-O, H4CBD, THC-P and in some cases including THC. It was also established that, between October 2022 and September 2023, the members of the criminal group produced for sale more than 100,000 Vape-type devices containing substances that produce psychoactive effects (HHC, HHC-P, HHC-O, H4CBD, THC-P) of such a nature as to endanger the lives of the persons consuming them," the source said.