A student from Khabarovsk faces 25 years in prison for pills considered narcotics.
Student Andrey Moroztsev He is charged under three articles of the Criminal Code: smuggling narcotic and psychotropic substances and attempted illegal acquisition of narcotic substances. The criminal case was sparked by the purchase of armodafinil tablets from India.
Andrey suffered from decreased performance since childhood. It was only in 2023 that doctors diagnosed him with idiopathic hypersomnia.
There is no treatment for this condition in Russia, but modafinil and its derivatives can alleviate the condition. This drug is legal in some countries. In Russia, Moroztsev says, it is on the restricted list. It has no narcotic effect: patients with this condition remain alert, while healthy people will experience a headache at most after taking it.
In May 2023, Moroztsev was detained while receiving a package containing pills. This wasn't his first package from India—law enforcement hadn't previously raised any questions.
As a customs officer testified in court Oganes Baghdasaryan, A signal was received from Moscow that a package containing a prohibited substance was about to arrive in Khabarovsk. Moscow customs officials suspected that the substance might be subject to restrictions on distribution.
According to Moroztsev, doctors can confirm that there is no substitute for modafinil and its derivatives for treating patients with hypersomnia.
"I'd bought this drug before and had no idea it was restricted. The drug was labeled as for personal use. But the practice has become that if something comes from abroad, it's immediately considered suspicious and prohibited. Patient and medical communities say it's more likely due to loopholes in the law: modafinil isn't registered due to insufficient research. I don't deny the fact that it's my medication, but I wasn't involved in any smuggling." — says Moroztsev.
The next hearing will take place on August 8. The case is being heard by the Central District Court.
