The Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia announced the suppression of an attempt to transit drugs on Russian territory. Employees of the department recorded an attempt to sell a wholesale batch of Latin American cocaine in Moscow.
According to the Public Relations Center (DSP) of the FSB, operatives established the identities of two Russian citizens who arrived in the Moscow region from border regions.
"Their task was to receive in Moscow a particularly large consignment of cocaine previously delivered to our country, as well as to transport drugs to the place of subsequent smuggling to the states of the European Union," the FSB DSP noted.
It is specified that the drug couriers used a vehicle rented in the name of a straw man, as well as a fake passport and driver's license.
"During the arrest red-handed, 673 kg of cocaine were found and seized from members of the drug group. The wholesale value of the seized batch on the Russian black market exceeds 2.5 billion rubles. Retail sales could bring the drug syndicate a profit totaling at least 6.5 billion rubles," the report says.
A criminal case has been initiated, the suspects have been taken into custody. As noted in the FSB, in accordance with Russian criminal law, the crime is punishable by up to life imprisonment.
The FSB systematically reports cases of seizure of large quantities of drugs and raw materials for their production.
At the end of November, the FSB of Russia in the Leningrad region announced the seizure of about 40 kg of drugs and more than 0.5 tons of raw materials for their production. As reported by Interfax with reference to the press service of the FSB, in the Novgorod district of the region, two local residents organized a laboratory for the production of mephedrone.
It was specified that the laboratory was discovered by local residents, who drew attention to the suspicious behavior of visitors and the pungent smell of chemicals. The detainees were taken into custody, and a criminal case was initiated under the article on the illegal production of drugs on an especially large scale.
In mid-November, the FSB of Russia in the Volgograd region announced the suppression of the work of three drug laboratories coordinated with Ukraine. According to the security agencies, seven citizens of the Russian Federation organized work on the synthesis of narcotic drugs with subsequent sale through caches.
During the searches, about 50 kg of drugs were seized, as well as more than 12 kg of precursors of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Along with this, about 3 thousand liters of acids, chemical reagents, special equipment and over 2.46 million rubles received from curators for the manufacture and sale of drugs in the Russian regions were found.
Criminal cases have been initiated under articles on attempted illegal sale of drugs and illegal production of precursors.
In October, the FSB DSP said that from September 2022 to September 2023, special service officers identified and intercepted 370 kg of synthetic drugs produced in Ukraine for sale in Russia.
According to the security agencies, the cars equipped with caches of drugs were delivered to Kyiv, from where they were picked up by drug courier drivers - citizens of Ukraine who are not subject to conscription into the Armed Forces of Ukraine (disabled people, members of large families, ministers of religion), or Russian citizens permanently residing in Ukrainian territory. The delivery of drugs was carried out in transit through the territories of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
In total, 11 criminal cases were initiated against nine people on the grounds of crimes under Part 4 of Article 229.1 of the Criminal Code of Russia (smuggling of narcotic drugs).