MOSCOW, February 7 - RAPSI. Moscow's law enforcement agencies quashed 12,000 drug-related crimes in 2012, almost 13% more than in 2011, Lieutenant General Vyacheslav Davydov, Chief of the Moscow Drug Control Division, told journalists on Thursday.

Davydov said over 517 kilograms of illegal drugs were confiscated.

He said that over ten types of "designer" drugs appeared in 2012, and that 38 kg of smoking mixtures were confiscated, 33% more than in 2011. Additionaly, the number of registered drug addicts increased by 3% compared to figures from 2011. The number of deaths from drug abuse also increased, totaling 855.

Davydov said his subordinates conducted over 400 raids at transport infrastructure facilities last year and exposed 159 drug smuggling crimes, four times more than in 2011.
He added that about 600 websites selling illegal drugs were uncovered in 2012.

As regards drug dealers, Davydov noted that ethnic crime rings continued to smuggle large wholesale batches of opium drugs into Moscow and to sell them in the city.