MOSCOW, July 20 (Xinhua) -- A former Russian regional agriculture official was sentenced to over 12 years in prison for manufacturing and trafficking 21 kilograms of marijuana, the press office of the Akademichesky District Court of Yekaterinburg said on Monday.
According to information released by the court, ringleader Igor Krupsky was a former head of the Crop Farming Division at the Sverdlovsk Region Ministry of Agro-Industrial Complex, equipped with professional agricultural expertise. He teamed up with his accomplice Igor Sokolov to form an organized criminal group.
Court records show the pair bought cannabis seeds and fully fitted out an indoor growing facility with specialized farming equipment: thermal insulation, professional grow lights, ventilation, drainage systems and automated irrigation gear. They also bought drying machines and vacuum sealers to process, package and store harvested cannabis for sales across the region via social media and online messaging apps.
From January 2023 to December 2024, the gang grew more than 140 cannabis plants, producing roughly 21 kilograms of finished marijuana distributed to towns and cities all over Sverdlovsk.
Law enforcement officers seized 143 potted cannabis plants of different growth phases when raiding the hidden plantation. This case ranks among the biggest drug seizures in the Urals in recent years that involve a former regional civil servant.
Prosecutors initially requested longer jail terms. The court sentenced Krupsky to 12 years and six months, and Sokolov to 12 years, with both sentences to be served in high-security penal colonies. Both defendants pleaded partial guilty during the trial. ■
