Without leaving his office: vice-rector of the Customs Academy sold drugs to colleagues

Ivan Zubov

A few days ago, FSB officers on suspicion of drug trafficking on an especially large scale detained Vice-Rector of the Russian Customs Academy Zalim Kerefov in the Moscow region right at the workplace. During the search, several kilograms of synthetic drugs were seized.

A video of the detention has already been published on the network, as well as a search in a private house, where, allegedly, there was a drug production laboratory in the interests of Kerefov. The entrance to the laboratory was located under the floor of the bathroom and was equipped with a pneumatic lift.

In total, during the search, the following were seized: 62 kg of mephedrone; 750 liters of narcotic liquid; 7 million rubles; $31 thousand.

According to the investigation, Kerefov created "a wide network for the sale of synthetics, in which he involved, among other things, cadets of the academy." He has been dealing drugs since 2020. Three employees of the RTA, including the Vice-Rector for Financial and Economic Affairs, admitted that they bought drugs from him for personal consumption, according to the FSB.

According to the FSB, Kerefov used “cryptographic internet messengers” to buy drugs, administrate five stores on the “dark web”, coordinate the work of “bookmarkers” and inform buyers about the location of the “bookmarks”. Including from the office computer.

To date, nine bookmarks with drugs have been found, links to which were found on the computer equipment of the accused.

The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation also reports that during the operation, accomplices of the Vice-Rector were also detained. A criminal case was initiated (part 5 of article 228.1, part 3 of article 30, part 5 of article 228.1, paragraph “d” part 4 of article 228.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

The Lieutenant Colombo channel comments on this incident as follows:

“That's all competence. What really surprised me was that a person, one way or another connected with the customs business, is associated with synthetics, which are brewed in the same Moscow region. It would be nice to organize an international supply channel, but here it’s somehow flat, for such a resonance ... "