Russia seizes 40 kg cocaine smuggled from Latin America via cargo ship

Customs officials in St. Petersburg, Russia, have intercepted 40 kilograms of cocaine smuggled from Latin America via a cargo ship.

The Russian Federal Customs Service (FCS) confirmed the seizure, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media. 

“Officers from the Main Directorate for Combating Smuggling, together with the Northwest Operational and Baltic Customs, intercepted a large shipment of drugs from Latin America. Forty kilograms of cocaine, valued at 600 million rubles ($7.6 million) on the black market, were seized from circulation,” the FCS said.

The drugs, packed into 40 bricks, were hidden in the technical cavities of a shipping container delivered by the cargo vessel.

“The shipment was detected thanks to the risk management system and implemented customs control measures. The container was scanned using an inspection and screening system and examined by sniffer dogs,” the FCS added.

A criminal case has been opened over the smuggling of narcotics in particularly large quantities.

By Jeyhun Aghazada