The Federal Customs Service (FTC) of Russia has reported that customs officials in St Petersburg have seized over 1.2 metric tons of cocaine at the Port of St Petersburg.
This is the second time this month that authorities have successfully intercepted a large shipment of cocaine entering the country.
The cocaine was found hidden in a shipment of coffee that had arrived from Antwerp, Belgium. After scanning the container, officials discovered numerous rectangular briquettes containing pressed white powder, which was later confirmed to be cocaine.
The estimated black-market value of the narcotics is over 13 billion rubles ($146.9 million). The FTC shared a picture on Telegram, featuring a cat drinking coffee, to announce the seizure.
Russian authorities have initiated a criminal case in response to the drug bust, and those responsible could face severe penalties, including life imprisonment and a fine of up to 1 million rubles.
Two weeks prior to this incident, another shipment of cocaine weighing over a metric ton and worth more than 11 billion rubles ($123.2 million) was discovered at the same port. A criminal case was opened at that time as well, but there have been no updates regarding the individuals responsible for the smuggling.
