Russia Flooded With Cocaine Since Start of War in Ukraine: Report

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The amount of cocaine coming into Russia has surged dramatically since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, according to a Monday report by a pro-Kremlin newspaper.

Izvestia reported that data shows Russian officials seized approximately 5.2 tons of cocaine valued at 350 billion rubles ($3.4 billion) between 2023 and 2024, which represents a tenfold increase on earlier levels. The Moscow-based outlet said drug dealers increased supplies of the drug coming into Russia while also changing the way it's transported.

Why It Matters

Russia maintains a zero tolerance policy towards drug use and smuggling. Courts routinely hand out heavy sentences to people convicted of trafficking even small quantities of narcotics.

What To Know

For its investigation, Izvestia analyzed statistics from law enforcement agencies, Russia's Federal Customs Service and darknet data.

The newspaper said experts pointed to changes made in supply routes due to the war in Ukraine as part of the reason for the influx of cocaine. After the start of the invasion in February 2022, the port in Odessa was closed, resulting in large supplies of drugs intended for other markets to be transported through Russia.

Since the outbreak of the war, Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB have also reported on increased quantities of cocaine being confiscated during arrests of drug dealers.

The significant uptick of cocaine inside Russia comes as global production of the drug has ramped up. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), global cocaine production increased 24 percent in 2022.

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs via online form on Tuesday for comment.

Methods Of Smuggling Cocaine Into Russia

In March 2023, an official representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs said police in St. Petersburg detained members of a group supplying cocaine to Russia from Latin America. They were allegedly found with 200 kilograms (440 pounds) of the drug in a truck that was also transporting fruit.

According to Izvestia's investigation, fruit containers are popular way to disguise cocaine being smuggled into Russia, which is reportedly being brought into the country by sea and by land. Concealing cocaine in bananas is said to be a favored method, since the fruit is transported in sealed containers that typically bypass inspections since doing so can cause spoilage.

Though fruit containers have proven reliable, drug traffickers also hide cocaine in shipments of cocoa beans, coffee, fish and porcelain vases, according to Izvestia's sources.

Drug Cartels

The largest drug cartels in the world have been linked to the illicit drugs coming into Russia, including Colombia's notorious Cali cartel. In December 2024, Russia announced it had arrested suspected members of the Cali cartel trying to smuggle 570 kilograms (1,250 pounds) of cocaine.

Though Russia is seeing a surge of cocaine inside its borders, the country has not seen a spike in the number of domestic cocaine users, and most of the drug is thought to be intended for other markets. This is due to cocaine being too expensive for many drug consumers in Russia, many of whom turn to synthetic alternatives like mephedrone.

Izvestia also reported darknet platforms have become a popular means for cocaine transactions inside Russia. When Izvestia published its report, it said there were around 1,150 advertisements for cocaine for sale on the darknet, which is about twice the average amount sold on the platform two years ago.

What People Are Saying

Doctor-narcologist Alexei Kazantsev told Izvestia that while the number of cocaine users in Russia aren't increasing, drug overdoses regularly occur.

"The situation is complicated by the fact that dealers dilute cocaine with dangerous additives to reduce the cost of production," Kazantsev said. "With the increased supply, it's even easier to do so. In addition, cocaine use is accompanied by alcohol, which is extremely dangerous."