It was a case that made a lot of noise at the time: drug trafficking organized from the Russian embassy in Argentina. A Russian court on Thursday sentenced four people, including the alleged mastermind of the group, to heavy sentences, ranging from 13 to 18 years in prison.
It all started on December 13, 2016, when nearly 400 kilos of cocaine were discovered in suitcases in a school located within the Russian embassy compound. It is moreover the ambassador who would have given the alert. That same evening, the investigators went to buy 400 kilos of flour at the Buenos Aires market, they replaced the cocaine, added a few tags to trace the transaction, and waited.
It will take a year for members of the network, some of whom work at the embassy, to manage to send the goods to Russia. According to the Argentine police, it was ultimately the Russian authorities who provided one of their planes for the operation, which Moscow denies. The case has also sparked controversy in Russia, where the media have pointed to certain contradictory elements in the account given by the authorities.
According to the Argentinians, there was 50 million euros worth of cocaine, destined for Russia, but also for the Netherlands and Germany, where the alleged mastermind of the gang was arrested, who therefore received this Thursday, January 20, 18 years in prison. Like his three co-defendants, he has always claimed his innocence and intends to appeal. Two other suspects are currently on trial in Argentina.