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9 more criminal cases opened in Vologda region against former deputy head of Vologda regional department of Federal Drug Control Service and his subordinates

The investigative bodies of the Russian Investigative Committee for Vologda region continue to investigate criminal cases over crimes involving employees of the Cherepovets inter-district Department of Federal Drug Control Service for the Vologda region.

Investigators have initiated 9 more cases against former deputy head of Vologda regional department of Federal Drug Control Service – head of Cherepovets inter-district department of Federal Drug Control Service for Vologda region, his deputy and four field officers. They are suspected of the crimes under parts 2.4 and 6 of article 290 of the Russian Criminal Code (bribe-taking), paragraphs "a", “c” of part 2 of article 158 (theft), part 3 of article 175 (acquisition of property knowingly obtained in a criminal manner) and paragraphs “a”, “b”, “e” of part 3 of article 228 (illegal sale of narcotic drugs).

According to a version by the investigators, in autumn 2010, the deputy head of Vologda regional department of Federal Drug Control Service - head of Cherepovets inter-district department and his subordinate field officer demanded from a 240year old citizen of Cherepovets a bribe of 1 million 200 thousand rubles to stop investigation against him and extorted the money for two months threatening to falsify against him and his girlfriend accusation of involvement into illegal drug trafficking and to cause physical harm. In the period from November 2010 to July 2011, the officials of the Drug Control Service received the whole sum of the bribe which the young man was forced to transfer in parts through a mediator. In the same period, head of Cherepovets inter-district department received a bribe of 150 thousand rubles to register documents on assistance of two citizens to the Drug Control bodies to be submitted in the court which was deciding over grant of parole to one of them and verdict to another. In addition, in 2011, two other officials of the department stole from two locals almost 200 thousand rubles sharing a part of it with the third field officer. Also, three criminal cases were opened against two of the officials – over especially large-scale drug sale by planting the drugs in the flat of clothes of the accused.

Thereby, the investigative bodies of the Russian Investigative Committee for Vologda region are investigating 23 criminal cases over abuse of official powers, swindling, thefts, robbery, illegal acquisition, storage and sale of drugs, steeling of narcotics and large and especially large-scale bribe-taking against 11 officials of Cherepovets inter-district Department of Federal Drug Control Service for the Vologda region, including against the former head of the department. The investigation of the criminal cases is to be continued.