Police in Almaty's Medeu district have detained a man who tried to flee from patrol officers and, during the chase, discarded a bag containing a large batch of a substance believed to be marijuana. The suspect himself estimated the street value of the contents at approximately 500 million tenge, according to infohub.kz.
The incident occurred on Kerey-Zhanibek Khandar Street. Patrol crews of the "Buran-613" unit spotted a suspicious young man in a residential area.
Upon seeing the police, the man abruptly changed direction and attempted to run. While fleeing, he began removing and throwing away his clothing and also discarded a bag.
"The patrol officers did not let him get away. The man was blocked and detained," police said.
A large batch of plant-based substance with a distinctive odor was found in the discarded bag. According to preliminary data, it could be marijuana. The exact composition and weight of the seized substance will be determined by forensic chemical examination.
Law enforcement officials said the detainee initially admitted that the drugs were intended for further distribution. He estimated their possible street value at approximately 500 million tenge.
Officers from the Medeu district police department and an investigative-operational group arrived at the scene. The substance was seized and sent for examination. A pre-trial investigation has been launched into the incident.