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- Heavy composition: Russians are being sent to prison for medicines imported from Asia
Heavy composition: Russians are being sent to prison for medicines imported from Asia
A criminal case has been opened in the Ussuri customs against a Russian citizen who tried to import an anti-inflammatory drug containing dihydrocodeine from China. This substance is included in the list of narcotic drugs. As Izvestia found out, Russians with Japanese Pabron Gold A are regularly detained in the Far East, and it is not always about actions in the interests of drug users or shady earnings. Often people are just trying to alleviate the suffering of seriously ill loved ones. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
The border incident
Employees of the department for combating drug smuggling of the Ussuri customs detained a Russian woman who returned from China. According to the customs press service, the woman did not indicate in the declaration 132 foil bags with powder weighing 127 g, hidden in cardboard boxes. The examination showed that the packages contain a medicinal product containing dihydrocodeine.
Packages with which the woman was detained
This substance is included in the "List of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors subject to control in the Russian Federation." In Russia, along with codeine and morphine, it belongs to narcotic analgesics, the turnover of which is strictly prohibited. A case has been opened against the woman under paragraph "b" of Part 2 of Article 229.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Illegal movement of narcotic drugs across the customs border of the EAEU"). The maximum penalty under this article is up to 20 years in prison.
Pharmacy "contraband" of sailors
As Izvestia found out, we are talking about a Japanese drug under the trade name Pabron Gold A. A little over a year ago, it could be found on popular Russian marketplaces, but now they are "out of stock" or "the product is sold out."
Employees of the transport police and the border department of the FSB in the Sakhalin region regularly seize this drug from sailors returning from voyages. In the last few months alone, several criminal cases have been sent to the courts of the region regarding the importation of this medicine. In July 2025, a 47-year-old resident of Malokurilsky, a boatswain by profession, came under investigation after 50 g of the drug was found in his possession. A similar fate awaited a sailor from Korsakov — a 59-year-old man was detained with a package of the same drug. The examination confirmed the presence of dihydrocodeine and N-methylephedrine (also a prohibited psychotropic substance) in the composition. The largest case was the detention of a 50-year-old mechanic on duty in Korsakov, who tried to smuggle 705 packages of the drug, hiding them in the engine room of the ship.
In Japan, the drug is an over—the-counter cold remedy. But its constituent dihydrocodeine is a powerful opioid synthesized from codeine. It is precisely because of the risk of addiction that governments in various countries, including the United States (where the drug was transferred from List III to List II in 2014) and Russia, have imposed strict restrictions.
The situation with seizures and criminal cases due to "pharmacy" drugs has become so acute that diplomats have responded to it. In March 2025, the Consulate General of Japan in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk issued an official warning recommending that Russians and Japanese entering the Russian Federation refrain from transporting the drug Pabron, as a prohibited ingredient was found in it.
"It forms addiction in the same way as morphine"
Daniil Petrov, narcologist and chief physician of Dr. Isaev's Clinic, explained in an interview with Izvestia the reasons why dihydrocodeine was banned in Russia.
"Dihydrocodeine is an opioid analgesic, a substance from the same pharmacological group as codeine, morphine, promedol and other opioids. It has a pronounced analgesic effect, but at the same time has a high narcotic potential. In fact, we are talking about a drug that can cause the same dependence as other opiates. The main danger of dihydrocodeine lies in the rapid formation of tolerance and dependence with a characteristic withdrawal syndrome: pain, insomnia, anxiety, sweating, severe discomfort and an irresistible attraction to the drug," the doctor warned.
Petrov stressed that the formed dependence on dihydrocodeine is treated like any other opioid addiction.
"This is one of the most serious drug-related diseases that requires comprehensive treatment. Detoxification alone cannot solve the problem. After withdrawal symptoms are removed, long—term rehabilitation, psychotherapy and work with addiction mechanisms are necessary, since the risk of relapse in opioid addiction remains high even long after the cessation of use," the expert concluded.
Particularly severe medications
The problem of importing unregistered medicines is not limited to Pabron. According to open source data, from 2023 to 2026, the following drugs were held responsible for transportation:
— bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban) is a drug for depression and smoking cessation, approved by the FDA (USA) since 1989 and the EMA (Europe). It is not registered in the Russian Federation, and the molecular composition in some cases is equated to ephedrone derivatives (narcotic drug). In 2019-2023, dozens of criminal cases were initiated (Kemerovo, Astrakhan, etc.) after Russians ordered bupropion from Poland or India (art. 229.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). In July 2025, Novorossiysk Customs discovered bupropion (an ephedrone derivative) in a car arriving from the United States.;
— Tramadol (Tramal) is an analgesic approved in the EU, USA, India. In the Russian Federation, it is a controlled psychotropic substance. Detentions at customs occur regularly;
— a number of anabolic steroids and fat burning drugs, some of which are allowed for sale in the EU and other countries, but are banned in Russia, or their turnover is limited as potent substances.
The law is the law
According to lawyer Ekaterina Krasnova, according to Article 47 of the law "On the Circulation of Medicines", the import of medicines into the Russian Federation is allowed only if there is a registration certificate (RU) in the State Register of Medicines (GRLS) of Roszdravnadzor or the EAEU. Unregistered medicines (including those containing narcotic/psychotropic substances) may be imported in exceptional cases.: for personal use of the patient by decision of the medical commission (medical indications, intolerance to analogues, vital indications); for scientific research or by permission of the Ministry of Health (the review period is up to five working days for batches for vital indications).
Since 2020, the import of some unregistered drugs with psychotropic substances has been simplified by the decision of the medical commission. The Government of the Russian Federation has repeatedly extended the simplified procedure for registration and import (including in foreign packaging) — until 31.12.2027. Parallel import (without the consent of the copyright holder) has been allowed since March 2022 (Resolution No. 506) and it is proposed to make it a permanent mechanism.
"However, in practice, for an ordinary traveler or a patient who ordered medicine by mail, these allowances do not work well,— says Krasnova. — Without prior approval from the Ministry of Health and the medical commission, any undeclared drug from the list of controlled substances automatically becomes contraband.
Izvestia reminds that the illegal consumption of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and their analogues is harmful to health, their illicit trafficking is prohibited and entails liability established by law.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
