Glamorous gangster dubbed ‘Barbie Bandit' arrested in police raid over massive dark web drug trafficking network
PRETTY IN PINK Glamorous gangster dubbed 'Barbie Bandit' arrested in police raid over massive dark web drug trafficking network
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A GLAMOROUS rapper dubbed the "Barbie Bandit" has been arrested in a dramatic police raid targeting a massive dark web drugs operation.
Blonde beauty Maria L., 25, known for posing in Barbie-pink outfits and flaunting an assault rifle on social media, was seized by Russian cops in St Petersburg on May 15.
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Glam rapper Maria L., dubbed the 'Barbie Bandit', flaunted her flashy style online while allegedly helping run a dark web drug empire
Credit: Newsflash
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Known for her doll-inspired looks and assault rifle selfies, she now faces up to 15 years in prison after a dramatic police raid in St Petersburg
Credit: Newsflash
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Prosecutors say she helped peddle psychotropic drugs online
Credit: Newsflash
The influencer-turned-trafficker is accused of helping run a slick online drugs shop — managing storage, distribution, and sales of illicit substances through the dark web.
Photos online show the rapper in revealing crop tops and doll-like makeup, living a flashy life that masked a far more dangerous double identity.
Police said: 'She helped sell the drugs online and also managed their storage and distribution.'
During the raid, cops uncovered laptops, mobile phones, and a 'significant' stash of chemicals used to make hallucinogens — along with scales and other manufacturing gear.
Prosecutors are now preparing to charge Maria L. with attempted illegal production of drugs, trafficking, and selling psychotropic substances.
The rapper — who already had a following as a blogger, streamer and musician — could face up to 15 years behind bars if convicted.
It comes after a Russian teen TikTok star has sparked outrage after threatening to have her pro-Putin mother send online trolls to the war front.
Yulia Shevtsova, a mayor in the Vologda region, was left red-faced after her 19-year-old influencer daughter made the chilling threat in a viral video.
Ksenia Shevtsova infuriated viewers by boasting on TikTok: "Are you out of your mind, dude? Do you know who my mum is?"
Horror as influencer model Maria Jose Estupinan, 22, shot dead at her door by hitman dressed as delivery driver
She added: "The mayor! We'll send you to the [war]."
The clip, which quickly spread online, featured images and videos of Ksenia posing with her politician mum — followed by the bold claim she could send her critics to fight in Vladimir Putin's brutal conflict.
The mayor later issued a public apology for her daughter's comments.
Awkward footage showed the Putin-supporting official struggling to save her political career.
She said: "Our children make mistakes by stupidity, through inexperience, but it is necessary to realise and correct these mistakes in time."
Looking visibly uncomfortable, she added: "That is why I had a serious conversation with my child."
Meanwhile, a twisted grave robber who dressed the mummified corpses of 29 young girls as dolls will stay locked in a psychiatric hospital, a Russian court ruled.
Anatoly Moskvin, 55, transformed the dead children into lifelike 'dolls' by dressing them in stockings, clothing, and knee-high boots.
He was arrested in 2011 after a series of desecrated graves of girls aged three to 11 sparked a lengthy police investigation in Novgorod, Russia.
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Before her arrest, Maria L. built a following as a rapper and blogger
Credit: Newsflash
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The 25-year-old posed in boob-skimming crop tops and Barbie-pink outfits
Credit: Newsflash
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Cops say that while Maria shared her glam life online, she secretly managed a high-stakes drug operation
Credit: Newsflash
When officers raided the apartment Moskvin shared with his parents, they uncovered the mummified remains of 29 girls.
Diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, Moskvin was deemed unfit to stand trial in 2012.
He has been confined to a secure psychiatric facility in Russia ever since.
Despite multiple legal appeals by his lawyers, a court has now ruled that he must remain in detention.
The decision followed a petition from the hospital's chief physician — likely triggered by concerns over Moskvin's behaviour.
Moskvin admitted to desecrating 44 graves belonging to girls aged three to 12.
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