Four Men Charged After Anti-drug Bust Codenamed The Finisher

Bratislava, 30 June - An investigator has charged four men as part of the anti-drugs operation codenamed the Finisher with respect to the large-scale possession and distribution of narcotic and psychotropic substances, Police Corps Presidium spokesperson Roman Hajek told TASR on Tuesday. Police seized almost three kilogrammes of cocaine, an amount with the potential to produce thousands of individual doses. Police also seized dried plant material. "Experts have already identified part of it as belonging to the Cannabis genus, while the remaining material is still undergoing forensic examination," Hajek said. According to the spokesperson, two of the accused, aged 33 and 34, have been charged with the aggravated offence of the unauthorised manufacture of and trafficking in narcotic and psychotropic substances, allegedly committed as co-offenders. "The case involves drugs on an exceptionally large scale," he said, adding that, if convicted, they face prison sentences of between 10 and 25 years or life imprisonment. A third suspect, aged 40, has been charged with the offence of the unauthorised manufacture of and trafficking in narcotic and psychotropic substances, which carries a prison sentence of between seven and 15 years, the spokesperson said. The fourth suspect, aged 46, faces the same charge, although in his case the applicable penalty under the Criminal Code is between three and 10 years' imprisonment. A motion has been filed seeking the pre-trial detention of all four suspects and has been submitted to the Martin District Prosecutor's Office, Hajek said, adding that the investigation is continuing. mf/mcs