Police in the Rostov region eliminated an entire supply chain of heroin in a prison hospital by capturing the suspected courier: a black cat.
Drug traffickers had apparently been using the house pet as a drug mule to smuggle heroin onto the territory of treatment and correction facility No. 20 in the city of Shakhty, Interfax reported, citing the press service of the regional department of the Federal Drug Control Service.
"The scheme worked in the following way: A prisoner would be freed from the hospital, and he'd carry a bag with a black cat in it. Then a car would meet him, and he'd leave the cat there," police said.
The drug dealers would then stuff the cat's collar with heroin and let it go back to the prison – which it did, repeatedly, and of its own accord.
The police managed to not only uncover this resourceful scheme, but also catch the criminals red-handed when they were filling the cat's collar with drugs.
Police grew suspicious when they noticed the same black cat repeatedly visiting the prison grounds, News61.ru reported.
According to prison workers, the cat stopped showing its face around after the drug bust.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.