Smuggling drugs with coffee is a popular method among criminals, as the strong aroma of coffee can often deceive drug-sniffing dogs. However, this tactic was unsuccessful in this instance, where customs officers made an enormous discovery.
Customs officers at the Russian port of St. Petersburg have confiscated over a ton of cocaine, valued at approximately 135 million euros ($147 million), hidden in coffee bags from Belgium. The local customs announced the bust on Wednesday, as reported by Ziare.com.
The massive haul, weighing over 1,200 kilograms, was discovered during an inspection of coffee bags that originated from Antwerp, Belgium.
According to the customs statement, the value of the seized drugs exceeds 13 billion rubles (about 135 million euros) on the black market.
This shocking find has led to the opening of a major drug trafficking investigation. This incident marks the second large-scale cocaine confiscation at St. Petersburg port in less than a month. Earlier in January, over a ton of cocaine was found in a container shipped to Russia from Nicaragua, as per the Russian customs service.
The use of legitimate commercial goods like coffee to conceal illegal substances poses a significant challenge to customs authorities worldwide.
