Russian customs and law enforcement agencies announced on Friday that they had confiscated over 1.5 metric tons of cocaine hidden in a banana shipment from Ecuador, marking the largest drug seizure in the country’s history.

The Federal Customs Service and the FSB (Federal Security Service) reported that the illicit cargo, valued at over 20 billion rubles (approximately $240 million), was found at a shipping terminal in St. Petersburg on August 29, following a tip-off from unnamed “foreign partners.” Authorities revealed that 1,500 cocaine bricks were concealed within 63 boxes of bananas on the vessel named Cool Emerald.

In a video released by the FSB, boxes labeled “Twins,” “Premium Bananas,” and “Product of Ecuador” were seen stacked both inside and outside the container. According to the agencies, the total weight of the cocaine was 1,515 kilograms.

A source within the fruit shipping industry in St. Petersburg, who requested anonymity, told The Moscow Times that while drug seizures at the city’s ports are frequent, the magnitude of this particular bust likely explains the heightened attention it received.

“I’ve had my shipments confiscated at least twice a month, and sometimes more often,” the source noted. “And that’s just with one company. There are many similar businesses across Russia.”

Officials did not specify whether Ecuador was the origin of the shipment or merely a transit point. A criminal investigation into organized smuggling has been launched, and efforts are ongoing to track down individuals connected to the drug trafficking operation.

Russia has become an increasingly important transit route for cocaine from Latin America en route to Europe, especially after the closure of Ukraine’s Odesa port, which was once a major shipping hub, due to Russia’s invasion in 2022.

Mack Tubridy contributed to this report.