Cocaine Hidden In Frozen Tuna Intercepted In Russia

Drug traffickers have discovered a new way to smuggle cocaine by hiding it in frozen tuna. Russian officials found 500 kg in packages concealed inside the fish, which could only be removed by cutting the fish with a chainsaw. The shipment was legally imported from Ecuador and transported in a container to the port of St Petersburg, where the Federal Security Service agents discovered over 100 bricks of narcotics with an estimated street value of USD 50 to 70 million.

A Russian citizen suspected of involvement in an international smuggling network for cocaine from Latin American origin has been arrested. A search of his residence yielded a large amount of cryptocurrency, as well as expensive watches and cars. The Ukraine war led to the closure of the port of Odesa, a drug trafficking hub, and Latin American cartels rerouted shipments to the port of St. Petersburg. Authorities have seized increasingly large shipments since 2022 and claim that the drug is transported over land to Western European countries. The domestic niche market for cocaine is growing, but its high costs makes it a luxury item that is out of reach for the vast majority of Russians.