Minor recruited to deal drugs

Photo: Mihkel Maripuu

Yesterday, Ilja Drobõšev (20) faced Harju County Court accused in instigating a minor into drug business.

On the face of it, Ritšard (17) is the usual school-boy, hailing from a decent Lasnamäe-dwelling family with lack of nothing as it seems. Father of Ritšard, a man driving a bulky LandRover, said the Ritšard was a good son who told them thoroughly of his comings and goings. The lad frequented a gym and took turns with brother, room-mate at home, to walk the dog.

At the end of last year, Ritšard got the news from his vocational school (where he studied to be welder) about exmatriculation. «This the school substantiated by the suspicion that he might have sold drugs,» the father told the court, yesterday. Meanwhile, his minor son sat hanging his head down low. The reason – Ritšard is indeed accused in drug business.

Drug crimes by minors are far from the usual, in court. A main aim for Northern prefecture drug group last year was to catch a child drug dealer with a scope as wide as possible – a warning to all others.

The aim went unreached, but the drug police did happen upon a case, after a longer while, leading to charges in instigation of a minor to dealing drugs. «An accusation like this is rarity indeed,» said Northern district prosecutor Leelet Kivioja. Over the past five years, four such accusations have reached courts in Estonia.

The tracks of the minor dealer were revealed by an investigation launched on August 12^th last year. They were looking into information regarding an unemployed Lasnamäe youth Ilja Drobõšev (20) with no former criminal record selling drugs near his home. 

Eavesdropping the phone of Mr Drobõšev left no room for doubts. From time to time, from unknown people – local school kids of Estonian and Russian nationality, it turned out – Mr Drobõšev got phone calls all beginning with the code phrase: «I’m a friend of Risto’s.»

Usually, that was enough for the parties of the conversation to meet, in nearest future, in Lasnamäe, around Seli or Mustakivi. At each such encounter, 0.5 to one gram of cannabis changed hands.

Six days after the criminal investigation started, the situation suddenly changed. Beginning August 18^th, a Ritšard begun to answer Mr Drobõšev’s phone telling folks he was doing the business now in the place of Ilja.

Having monitored the events for some two dozen days, the police decided to capture the young Lasnamäe drug dealers. Mr Drobõšev was apprehended in his native staircase at Ümera St on September 30^th with folium-packaged 0.5 grams of marijuana in his fingers. Searching his home, 27 more grams of marijuana were discovered, along with 129 dark pink  MDMA (amphetamine derivative) pills, and about €280 in cash.

Regarding Ritšard the minor, investigators paid a visit on October 22^nd and the boy was caught in his home staircase at Kalevipoja St with a small amount of drugs. Once in his home, the investigators did not know whether to laugh or cry: on Ritšard’s computer screen, they beheld a social site window where the lad had talked about drugs with an Aleksei.

The evidence crystal clear, both confessed. However, Mr Drobõšev does argue the accusation that would jail him for six years minimum – instigating a minor to drug crime.

Mr Drobõšev claims not to know Ritšard was underage. Also, he said he had no idea his clients were mostly underage school kids.

Of the latter, several stood in witness box at Harju County Court yesterday. One asked for court to write an absent slip for school. «I have scholarship committee today,» apologised the youngster. 

The court asked him how he knew that half gram of marijuana costs €10 and one gram €20. «Well I do dwell in Lasnamäe, everybody knows these are the prices,» announced the lad who had purchased drugs from Mr Drobõšev only, about five-six times or so.

Ritšard the minor, fully admitting to his guilt, quietly sat in his bench and said he fully agreed to everything said in the court. Turning to the father, court asked what kind of a punishment he would sentence for his son. «Community service would do him good. Right now, we are actually looking for work for him,» said the father. In a week, the accused will be bringing explanations at court.