OREANDA-NEWS A shipment of cocaine weighing 699 kilograms and worth more than 2.5 billion rubles was seized in the Moscow region from members of an international cartel, the FSB of Russia reported.

"Attempts have been recorded to sell a wholesale batch of Latin American cocaine in Moscow. Three foreigners have been identified — citizens of Colombia and one of the EU states. They arrived in Russia specifically to conduct a multi—stage drug operation," the department said.

According to the intelligence service, this is "another international group that tried to use Russia for the transit movement and sale of drugs."