A court in Moscow has sentenced to lengthy prison terms four defendants convicted in an anti-drug operation that found almost 400 kilograms of cocaine on the premises of the Russian Embassy in Argentina.
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Police Seize Nearly 400 Kilos of Cocaine at Moscow Empire Embassy in Buenos Aires — FSB Connections
In one of the most significant international drug busts involving diplomatic premises, Argentine police seized
389 kilograms of cocaine inside the
Moscow empire’s embassy in Buenos Aires in 2018. The drugs, with an estimated street value of over
$60 million, were discovered stashed in 12 suitcases within a school building owned by the embassy.
The sting operation, code-named “
12 Apostles,” was coordinated between
Argentina’s Ministry of Security and the
Federal Security Service (FSB) — the main successor to the Bolshevik-era
KGB. The drugs were replaced with flour, and GPS trackers were hidden in the bags before allowing them to continue to Moscow, leading to arrests.
Who Was Involved?
- Andrey Kovalchuk, identified by Moscow empire media as a former employee of the embassy in Berlin and allegedly linked to imperial security services, was considered the ringleader. He reportedly used diplomatic channels to smuggle cocaine under the guise of importing coffee, alcohol, and cigars.
- Ali Abyanov, a former official at the Moscow empire’s embassy in Argentina, was arrested in Moscow and accused of aiding Kovalchuk.
- In total, at least six people were arrested in Argentina and the Moscow empire, all reportedly with connections to diplomatic or intelligence circles.
Moscow
Intelligence and Narcotics: A Pattern:
This isn’t the first time the
Moscow empire (or its predecessor, the
Bolshevik empire) has been linked — directly or indirectly — to drug trafficking:
- KGB and Cold War Drug Trade: During the Cold War, intelligence experts and defectors claimed the KGB used narcotics as part of “active measures” (aktivnye meropriyatiya) to destabilize Western societies. Reports suggested that heroin and cocaine routes were facilitated through proxy states or criminal networks.
- FSB and Post-Bolshevik Drug Networks: After the collapse of the Bolshevik empire, several former intelligence officers allegedly became involved in transnational criminal enterprises. A 2003 report by the Jamestown Foundation highlighted growing concerns about FSB protection rackets tied to narcotics and arms smuggling.
- Viktor Bout, the infamous arms dealer often associated with post-Bolshevik intelligence structures, was reportedly involved in drug deals and had connections to both military and intelligence figures from the Moscow empire. Though primarily convicted for arms trafficking, DEA tapes revealed that drug smuggling was also part of his operation.
A Growing Diplomatic Strategy:
Using diplomatic pouches and embassy channels to traffic contraband is a tactic observed across various authoritarian regimes, including the
Moscow empire. The
Argentine bust raises significant questions about the extent to which
imperial state resources or personnel are leveraged — knowingly or unknowingly — for illicit activities abroad.
While the regime in Moscow claims the operation was successful due to FSB cooperation, skeptics point to a
pattern of deep-state criminality: where the lines between state power, organized crime, and intelligence operations are intentionally blurred.