Police officers stopped a Toyota at the entrance to Kazakhstan's capital and found more than 3 kg of mephedrone inside, the website infohub.kz reports.
According to the Astana Police Department, the detention took place at one of the city's checkpoints. The man is suspected of storing and transporting narcotics for further sale.
"At the entrance to Astana, at one of the checkpoints, police stopped a Toyota driven by a 44-year-old man suspected of storing and transporting narcotics for further sale. During a search of the vehicle, six bricks of a powdered substance with a distinctive odor were found and seized from the passenger compartment. The suspect later pointed out locations in the city where he had previously left so-called stashes. All the substances found were seized. According to an expert examination, the seized substance is mephedrone. Its total weight exceeded 3 kg," the department said.
A criminal case has been opened and the suspect has been arrested. Police established that the man was acting as a courier and planned to hand over the drugs for further distribution.
Officers are currently identifying other individuals who may be involved in the illegal activity.