MOSCOW, November 5. /TASS/. Russia’s law enforcement bodies seized five tons of synthetic drugs worth around 150 billion rubles ($2.4 billion) this year, a top anti-drug service official said on Thursday.

"We have prevented direct economic damage to the state of around 150 billion rubles," Victor Ivanov, head of the Federal Drug Control Service, said, reporting that around 1,500 criminal groups had been eliminated since the start of the year.

Annual hauls of around 30 tons of marijuana were being recorded, he added.