ST. PETERSBURG -- Police have detained two people for selling weight-loss pills containing chemicals classified in Russia as addictive mind-altering substances, the use of which is prohibited or highly restricted.

The dealers, a man and woman, both around 40, were detained last week while trying to sell a pack of the pills to an undercover drug-squad detective during a routine police check of classified ads offering products that can only be sold with a license. Over 1,000 pills were seized from the pair, whose names police refused to disclose.

[continues 640 words]