Russian official says synthetic cannabis is used to topple regimes
Synthetic cannabis, commonly known as “Spice,” can be used to organize democratic “color revolutions,” warns Viktor Ivanov, the head of Russia’s Federal Drug Control Service. Ivanov issued the warning today at a conference of anti-drug officials from the Shanghai Pact.
“Last year, we confronted the problem of this synthetic drug being enriched with a new fluorinated compound, making the drug like weapons-grade poison, and leading to an epidemic of deaths,” Ivanov explained.
Ivanov says there are special research centers working to create such drugs, in order to use them "in color revolutions.” The profits from selling these drugs, Ivanov adds, are also used to finance color revolutions.
“According to our data, there are special research centers working on these drugs, and using these substances in ‘color revolutions,’” Ivanov said.
- In early February, Russia’s Federal Drug Control Service (FKSN) announced that it had broken up a major transnational criminal group engaged in selling synthetic drugs. Drug traffickers, Russian officials say, kept their income at Privatbank, which is owned by Ukrainian oligarch Igor Kolomoisky, who until recently served as governor of Dnipropetrovsk. The FKSN has asked Russian federal investigators to open a case against Kolomoisky in connection with the findings.
- In late 2014, Russia has witnessed a wave of cases where people are poisoned by the drug known as “Spice.” According to the news agency TASS, more more than 2,000 people suffered Spice poisoning in 2014, with more than 40 people dying.