“Pharmacies as well as pharmacies’ owners suspects the “collaborative activity””, – WRITE: www.radiosvoboda.org
The pharmacies of Azerbaijan Elvin and Ashgin Bagirov, the National Police, are suspected of “collaborative activity” (Part 4 of Article 111-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The maximum punishment for this is up to 5 years of confiscation of property.
On March 4, the court also had to choose a measure of restraint and brothers Bagirov – but they did not appear at the meeting.
One of the Baghirov brothers, who managed to communicate with “schemes”, denied his involvement in illegal trade in Russian medicines in Ukraine. Police did not comment on the Eli’farm.
Ashgin and Elvin Bagirov
Earlier, “schemes” with reference to sources in law enforcement agencies reported that the Bagirov after their suspicions were left for Ukraine to Moldova. It happened on the night of March 1. Azerbaijan citizens did not extend the departure restrictions that are operating for men of conscript during martial law in Ukraine. And the court did not yet choose a preventive measure for them.
In August 2024, the Scheme journalists published an investigation stating that the Kiev pharmacy network “El’farm”, despite the ban and during a full -scale war, sells Russian and Western drugs produced specifically for the Russian Federation. “Schemes” revealed this by conducting a journalistic experiment and purchasing illegal drugs at El’farm.
So “Schemes” found that Russian medicines were sold carefully at the Kiev pharmacy network – on the pre -order by phone, and then sent the client “New Mail”. It is – for example, “Cortexin”, which is produced in the Moscow company by the company “Hearm”.
But the drugs that Western companies produce specifically for the Russian market, in El’farm traded openly-through the site of the price aggregator Tabletki.ua. Among them atarax of the Belgian company UCB Pharma and the “Vobensim” German Mucos Pharma. Both European manufacturers then assured “schemes” that strictly comply with the requirements of Ukrainian legislation and supply only drugs in the country.
As the schemes were established in their investigation, based on the customs database data, atarax, which was traded in the Kiev network “El’farm”, came from a party, which from January to April 2024, the manufacturer sent from Belgium to Russia to Russia.
The Schemes also handed over the packaging of the drug “Vobensim”, which journalists purchased at El’farm, to Berlin, to the head office of Mucos Pharma manufacturer Mucos Pharma to find out its origin.
The company conducted research and replied that these medicines were original, produced for the Russian market and could not get into the Ukrainian pharmacy legally.
Within the framework of the Scheme journalistic investigation, they also addressed the law enforcement officers to find out if they knew about the sale of illegal drugs at the Elithpharm pharmacy network. Subsequently, in the summer of 2024, the owners of pharmacies came with searches, during which more than 50 drugs made, in particular, in Russia.
The police then reported that they stopped “the sale of medicines of Russian production, which were entered into the territory of Ukraine illegally.” But even after searches and criminal cases, El’farm continued to sell illegal medicines – “Schemes” established this, again ordering the Russian drug “Cortexin” in El’farm and received it again by mail from one of the owners of the network, Elvin Baghirova. However, EliFarm has ceased operations.
It is forbidden to sell Russian medicines in Ukraine since June 2022 – for this the pharmacy can be deprived of licenses, and owners are at least fined for UAH 1700. And in the case of cooperation with Russian companies, it is even to be imprisoned for up to 12 years for the absence of the aggressor. Also under the ban on the sale of Western drugs produced for markets of other countries, including Russia – for this the pharmacy also threatens to deprive the license, and its owners – a fine.