rki.news
ST. PETERSBURG: Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said Wednesday it had seized about 500 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside a shipment of frozen tuna imported from Ecuador at the Port of St. Petersburg.
According to the FSB, the narcotics were discovered during an inspection of a cargo container carrying legally imported frozen whole tuna at a container terminal. Authorities said the shipment was linked to an international trafficking network used to smuggle large quantities of cocaine from Latin America into Russia for distribution.
The security service said a Russian citizen suspected of organizing the cross-border smuggling operation has been detained as part of the investigation.
During a search of the suspect’s residence, investigators seized digital storage devices containing cryptocurrency wallets with electronic assets worth about $613,000, along with 13 luxury watches valued at more than $1.3 million, and five luxury vehicles estimated to be worth at least $1.65 million.
Russian authorities have opened a criminal case over the attempted trafficking of narcotic drugs on an especially large scale. The investigation is continuing to determine whether additional individuals were involved in the operation.