The amount of cocaine seized by customs officers has increased 68-fold in three years

Russia's Federal Customs Service has recorded an annual increase in the supply of cocaine to Russia. In 2024 alone, the customs service seized about 2.8 tons of the drug, the press service of the Federal Customs Service told Izvestia.

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It follows from the response of the agency that the increase in the volume of transported cocaine has been observed since 2021. Then the amount of seized drug amounted to more than 41 kg, and in 2022 already twice as much - more than 88 kg.

The largest consignments were seized in 2023 - about 410 kg, and in 2024 - more than 2.8 tons.

Thus, over the past year, the volume of illicit substances transported through Russia has increased 6.8 times. And for three years - about 68 times.
The Federal Customs Service attributes the increase in shipments to the intention of South American and European groups to change the ways of exporting the drug to Europe. Now they are using Russia's transportation structure more actively than before.

"At present, most attempts to export cocaine are carried out through the seaports of the North-Western region of Russia. Containerized transportation with legal goods is used. Representatives of European groups are often responsible for sales," the agency said.

Thus, in January 2024 in the Big Port of St. Petersburg was found more than a ton of cocaine, which was brought to Russia from Nicaragua. In the same month, more than 1.2 thousand kilograms of cocaine transported from Belgium were seized in the port. In December, the FCS together with the FSB seized about 600 kg of cocaine and detained members of the drug cartel "Cali".

Read more in the exclusive material of "Izvestia":

Revitalized traffic: drug dealers have increased cocaine imports to Russia