Russian customs and law enforcement authorities reported the seizure of more than 1.5 metric tons of cocaine hidden in a banana shipment from Ecuador, describing it as the country's largest drug bust to date.
The Federal Customs Service and the FSB security service said the drugs, valued at more than 20 billion rubles (US$240 million), were found at the port of St. Petersburg on Aug. 29 following a tip from unnamed foreign partners. According to officials, 1,500 bricks of cocaine with a total net weight of 1,515 kilograms were concealed in 63 boxes of bananas aboard the vessel Cool Emerald.
© Russian Customs
Footage released by the FSB showed boxes labeled "Twins," "Premium Bananas," and "Product of Ecuador" both inside and outside a container.
A shipping industry source in St. Petersburg, speaking anonymously to The Moscow Times, said seizures of narcotics at the city's ports occur frequently, though the size of this case explains the attention it has drawn. "I've had my shipments seized no less than twice a month, sometimes more," the source said. "And that's just with one company. There are at least dozens of them in Russia."
Authorities did not specify whether Ecuador was the origin of the cargo or if it served as a transit point. A criminal investigation into large-scale smuggling has been opened, and officials confirmed efforts are underway to identify members of the trafficking network.
Russia has increasingly become a transit route for cocaine from Latin America destined for Europe, particularly since Ukraine's Odesa port, formerly a key hub, closed following Russia's invasion in 2022.
Source: The Moscow Times
