Six drug traffickers arrested after 860 pounds of cocaine is discovered in Russian embassy

SIX suspected drug traffickers have been arrested after 860 pounds of cocaine were found in the Russian Embassy in Argentina's capital Buenos Aires during a police raid which uncovered the narcotics.

One former Russian diplomatic official and an Argentine police officer were among those detained. Local authorities confirmed that there were drugs inside the 16 pieces of luggage and they had to replace the cocaine with flour while it was still at the embassy.

According to the police, the investigation started in 2016, when the Russian ambassador to Argentina and three members of the Russian federal security service reported that they had suspicions about diplomatic luggage found at a school that is annexed to the embassy.

Authorities said the drugs have a street value in Russia of about $61m.

Patricia Bullrich, Argentina's security minister, said: "A tracking device was placed in the suitcase that was to be used to make the shipment to Russia, which was its destination. At 3 am we had to send people from the border police to buy the 389 kilograms of flour to the central market in Buenos Aires because no one had 389 kilograms in a warehouse.

"The drugs never travelled to Russia. Only the flour travelled."

She added that the luggage was flown to Russia in 2017. Three Argentine customs officials travelled to Russia to monitor the delivery and two of the suspects were arrested when they went to pick up the cargo, while one of the leaders of the plot remains on the run.