Two Tajik citizens in Russia have been prosecuted for attempting to import isyryk (harmala) into the country. According to ASIA-Plus, citing the Prosecutor General’s Office of Tajikistan, one of the women has been sentenced to eight years in prison.
The agency stated that the women attempted to import the plant “for personal and medical purposes,” but were apprehended at Russian airports and subsequently faced criminal charges.
One of the women was charged with the possession, transportation, production, and processing of narcotic substances without the intent to sell (Part 2 of Article 228 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), as well as the illegal movement of plants containing narcotic substances across the customs border of Russia (Part 3 of Article 229.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).
“Following the completion of the investigation, the criminal case was sent to court, which sentenced the defendant to 8 years of imprisonment,” the Prosecutor General’s Office reported.
The fate of the second detained woman remains unreported.
The Prosecutor General’s Office cautioned citizens of Tajikistan against transporting isyryk to Russia and using it within the country.
The agency noted that transporting and possessing “more than 10 units of harmala” could result in a fine of 1 million rubles or imprisonment, potentially up to a life sentence.
In February 2024, Russia included harmala in the list of plants containing narcotic substances, for which illegal trafficking, possession, and consumption are punishable by hefty fines or imprisonment.