Russia confiscates $55 million worth of cocaine headed for Europe and detains

Russia confiscates $55 million worth of cocaine headed for Europe and detains suspected members of the notorious Colombian cartel.

Russia arrests suspected members of  Colombian cartel, seizes $55 million  worth of cocaine bound for  Europe
Updated: December 6, 2024 / 10:02  am EST /  CBS / AFP
Russia said Friday it had arrested suspected members of a Colombian cartel  who were trying to smuggle tens of millions of dollars worth of cocaine into  Europe.
The suspects were caught  carrying 570 kilograms (1,250 pounds) of the illegal substance  in a container  destined for shipment to the European Union, according to Russia's FSB security  service.
The FSB said the  traffickers brought the drugs  to Russia from Peru hidden in a  vehicle and were members of  the notorious Cali  cartel in Colombia.
"570 kilograms of cocaine were seized, the wholesale value of which on the Russian black market is 1.5 billion rubles,  with a retail value  of more than 5.5 billion rubles ($55 million)," the FSB said in a statement on its  website.
Colombia is the world's  largest producer and  exporter of cocaine, mainly to the United States and  Europe. Last year, the South American country set a new record for cocaine production and  the cultivation of the coca leaf  from which the drug is  made.
Russia has a  zero-tolerance policy  on drug use and  trafficking, imposing harsh penalties on those  found guilty of trafficking  even small amounts of  narcotics.
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A view  of the headquarters of the Federal Security Service (FSB) in  central Moscow on December 21, 2020.
DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty  Images
According to authorities, Russian customs seized almost three tons of cocaine in the first nine months of the  year.
"This is already the fifth batch of Latin American cocaine seized by security agencies this year on Russian territory, intended for transit to EU  countries," the FSB  said. According to US authorities, the Cali  Cartel controlled up to  80% of cocaine  trafficking in the United States at its peak in the  mid-1990s. In 2022, the former head of the Cali  Cartel died in a North  Carolina prison.
The seizure of drugs  destined for Europe by Russian authorities was announced  a day after Portuguese police said they had dismantled "one of the  largest laboratories" of cocaine in Europe  in an operation that led to seven arrests and the seizure of  about 1,500 kilograms of the drug.  . The investigation  began a year ago  after information from Colombian, Spanish and  US authorities.
Last week,  Balkan police arrested 11  suspected members of a criminal syndicate responsible for  trafficking cocaine from South America to Europe. Among  those arrested was a suspect also wanted for his alleged membership in the notorious  Pink Panthers jewelry theft gang.

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