Russian national gets 18yr jail term for running drug trafficking network from Pondy

A Russian national was sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment by the NDPS court in the city on Tuesday for running an international drug trafficking network from Puducherry.

Alexander Vyukhin was arrested by the narcotics control bureau in 2011 on charges of smuggling psychotropic substances to countries like the UK and the US through speed post by declaring that they were herbal medicines. While Alexander himself appeared as his counsel in the case, he was found guilty at the end of the trial. Apart from the jail term, a fine of Rs 5 lakh was also slapped on him.