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500kg of cocaine trafficked to Russia from Latin America a year

Revenues received through drug trafficking in Russia are estimated at 10 billion dollars a year

MADRID, June 26 (Itar-Tass) — Annually over 500 kilograms of cocaine are trafficked to Russia from Latin America, while ten years ago this figure did not exceed 30 kilograms, Russian federal drug control service chief Viktor Ivanov told an international anti-drug conference that kicked off in the Peruvian capital of Lima on Tuesday.

The forum brought together delegations from 61 countries and international organizations, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Organization of American States and the Andean Community of Nations.

Revenues received through drug trafficking in Russia are estimated at 10 billion dollars a year, of them cocaine produced in Latin America accounts for 300 million dollars.

“Not cocaine from Latin America, but heroin from Afghanistan is a serious problem for the Russian Federation,” he said.

On Monday the Russian federal drugs control service and Peru’s national commission for the development of life without drugs (Devida) signed a cooperation agreement to exchange information, pool efforts in the fight against drug trafficking and conduct joint research in this sphere.

Peru’s President Ollanta Humala unveiled the international conference that will focus on the decline in drug trafficking and experience exchange.

Delegates will also discuss stronger coordinated efforts in the war on drugs, prevention of psychotropic substances consumption and treatment of drug addicts.