Massive cocaine, illegal alcohol busts in Latvia

Latvia's State Police found 202.5 kg of cocaine intended for Russia stashed under wood panels on a docked cargo boat in the Port of Riga. Photo used courtesy of the Latvian State Police.

RIGA — Latvia’s state police found a record amount of cocaine on a ship in the Port of Riga Wednesday.

According to Organized Crime Prevention Department Chief Ugis Araks, the ship’s contents were loaded in Bolivia and it made made stops in Ecuador and Holland, before reaching its final destination of Riga. The cocaine was allegedly intended to be smuggled into Russia through Latvia, and the total value of the haul was €19 million.

At 202.5 kg it is the largest amount of cocaine ever found by authorities in Latvia.

On Friday, Latvian police announced that 4,584 liters of alcohol and 11,900 cigarettes also intended for Russia had been found and confiscated at a residence in the Riga suburb of Saurieši. The home belongs to three men named Igor, Aleksandr and Andrej — police are not releasing the last names.

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