Estonian court convicts Latvian-led drug ring for fatal narcotics sales

Estonian judges convicted a drug network operating in Kohtla-Järve that was led by a Latvian couple, Otto Burkevičs and Jelena Burkeviča. The pair used couriers to bring extremely potent narcotics, including carfentanil and nitazenes, from Latvia into the Ida-Virumaa region. District Prosecutor Sergei Listov noted that the substances were primarily bought by people with addiction problems, and at least two users died after consuming them.

The chief distributor, Andrei Taturevitš, was found guilty despite being monitored by an ankle bracelet, and he sold drugs openly from his apartment. Court rulings handed the defendants three to five years in prison, with the Latvian couple also barred from entering Estonia for ten years. The operation was active from October 2022 to January 2023.