A man has been detained in Almaty after police found 53 suspicious packets on him during a search. A criminal case has been opened, according to the website infohub.kz.
According to the Almaty Police Department, operatives from the anti-drug crime unit arrested the man on the stairwell of a building in the Almaly district. In his pockets were 53 packets containing an unknown substance.
The packets were carefully wrapped in tape. During a search of his apartment, police found about 100 grams of a powdery substance, as well as packaging material and electronic scales. The man had rented the apartment just one day before his arrest.
Police are now working to establish the origin of the seized substance and the man's role in illegal drug trafficking. The substance has been sent for forensic chemical analysis to determine its composition and exact weight.
According to police, the man had previously come to the attention of law enforcement, including for theft of property. The suspect has been arrested.