Russia has arrested some suspected members of a Colombian drug cartel trying to smuggle a huge amount of cocaine into Europe. These suspects were caught red-handed loading 570 kilograms (about 1,250 pounds) of cocaine into a shipping container meant for the European Union. That’s a lot of drugs—worth $55 million on the black market!
The smugglers reportedly sneaked the drugs into Russia from Peru by hiding them in a vehicle. According to Russia’s FSB security services, these criminals are linked to Colombia’s infamous Cali cartel. If you haven’t heard of them, the Cali cartel was once a major player in the global cocaine trade, controlling up to 80% of shipments to the U.S. back in the 1990s.
This isn’t the first big drug bust for Russia. In the first nine months of this year alone, Russian customs officials seized nearly three tons of cocaine. In fact, this is already the fifth major batch of Latin American cocaine seized in Russia this year! The FSB says the drugs were all meant to be sent to Europe.
Colombia, the world’s top cocaine producer, is known for supplying drugs to both the U.S. and Europe. Just last year, the country broke records for cocaine production and coca leaf cultivation—the plant used to make the drug.
Russia takes drug smuggling very seriously, with harsh punishments even for small amounts of illegal substances.
Interestingly, the news comes shortly after Portugal announced its own massive drug bust. Portuguese police said they had uncovered one of the largest cocaine labs in Europe, arresting seven people and seizing 1,500 kilograms of the drug.
Meanwhile, in the Balkans, authorities recently arrested 11 suspects tied to a syndicate smuggling cocaine from South America. One of the arrested is even suspected of being part of the “Pink Panthers,” a notorious jewel heist gang.
It’s clear that authorities around the world are stepping up efforts to crack down on drug smuggling, with some big wins against these organized crime networks.
