MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/. About 30 kilograms of cocaine worth more than $3.6 million have been seized by narcotics police from nine Russian nationals in Latin America and southeast Asia, the press service of the Russian Federal Drug Control Service told TASS on Wednesday.
"Tracking the drug cartel became possible thanks to the detainment of nine Russian citizens in Latin America and southeast Asia who travelled to Thailand by different air routes. Large batches of cocaine with a total weight of about 30 kilograms worth more than 200 million rubles ($3.6 million) have been discovered in their luggage in well-equipped caches," the press service said.
A source in the press service noted that the Russian narcotics police had established and passed on to Thailand’s law enforcement agencies the information on an international criminal group operating in the country. The group comprises citizens of Nigeria, Thailand, Russia and Brazil. Russian police officers also passed on to their Thai colleagues information about one of the group’s leaders - a Nigerian nicknamed Lenz permanently living in Thailand. He was responsible for the recruitment of drug couriers and the organization of the cocaine supply chains.
Currently, Thailand is conducting further investigative activities to identify and detain all members of the transnational organized crime group, the Russian Federal Drug Control Service said.