Czech customs uncovered an international drug trafficking group that was smuggling large quantities of narcotics hidden in parcels or disguised within cosmetic products. This operation led to the confiscation of 115 kilograms of ketamine, which was intended for shipment to Canada. According to Ondřej Kalivoda, head of the Customs and Drug Crime Detection Department, the street value of this drug in Canada could amount to approximately 250 million Czech crowns.

Authorities are currently prosecuting three foreign nationals involved in this case, who are looking at extradition proceedings back to the Czech Republic. If convicted, they potentially face up to eighteen years in prison, as noted by Jakub Frydrych, director of the National Drug Headquarters. The scale of this seizure is particularly notable as past confiscations of ketamine usually involved much smaller amounts, typically around one kilogram, indicating the sophistication of the criminal operations.

The group was reportedly using a well-planned approach to transport ketamine from the Netherlands to the Czech Republic and subsequently to Canada by establishing a cosmetic company. This allowed them to disguise the drugs within the packaging of haircare products, showcasing the lengths to which drug traffickers are willing to go to evade detection and the significant threat posed by such organized crime in both domestic and international contexts.