Baku court sentences members of cyber fraud, drug trafficking group

A criminal trial in Baku involving members of an organised group accused of cyber fraud and drug trafficking has concluded, with the defendants receiving prison sentences.

The verdict was delivered at the Baku Court for Serious Crimes, presided over by Judge Firdovsi Aliyev, Caliber.Az reports via local media. 

Sergei Safronov, Anton Drachyov, Dmitry Bezugly, and Valery Dulov were each sentenced to four years in prison. Dmitry Fedorov, Boris Timoshov, Alexey Vasilchenko, and Ilya Bezugly received three-year prison terms.

According to the indictment, Sergei Safronov and other members of the group allegedly formed a criminal organisation involved in the trafficking of narcotics. Investigators said the group acquired large quantities of heroin, methadone, and methamphetamine for distribution in Baku.

The suspects were detained during an operation conducted by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs targeting drug trafficking and cyber fraud. Their arrest was carried out under a ruling by the Sabail District Court dated July 1, 2025.

The defendants were charged under Articles 234.4.1 and 234.4.3 of the Criminal Code, which relate to the illegal manufacture, possession, transportation, and sale of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances committed by an organised group and on a large scale.

By Sabina Mammadli