Russia gives life sentence to Hydra dark web kingpin after seizing a ton of drugs

A Russian court has handed a life sentence to the head of the infamous online drugs souk Hydra, and 15 of his co-conspirators will also spend many years behind bars.

The leader of the gang, Stanislav Moiseev, received a life sentence and a fine of four million rubles (about $37,500) for running the online marketplace. Others associated with the enterprise received sentences ranging from eight to 23 years and were slapped with a series of fines totaling 16 million rubles ($150,000).

"The Moscow Regional Court, based on the verdict of a panel of jurors, issued a guilty verdict in a criminal case " state media reported, in a story that names Moiseev and 15 others.

The group was charged with production and sale of psychotropic substances and drugs. The gang will reportedly serve their time in the harshest of penal camps. Which may explain why they are reportedly appealing the verdict.

Hydra was set up in 2015, primarily as a drugs market. It was taken down by international police action in 2022, when its servers were seized.

Leave a Comment