In August 2024, Russian customs and FSB agents intercepted a massive cocaine shipment at the port of St. Petersburg, seizing approximately 1.5 metric tons of the drug hidden in a banana cargo from Ecuador. The haul, valued at 20 billion rubles ($257 million), was a record for Russian authorities. The vessel involved, the Cool Emerald, is operated by Cool Carriers, a Cyprus-based company that has been linked to multiple drug trafficking incidents, including discoveries of cocaine on its vessels in the UK and Denmark.