Argentina police burn more than 850 pounds of cocaine worth $93M

Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Argentine authorities have torched more than 850 pounds of cocaine that was seized from Russia's Buenos Aires embassy, officials said.

Police said the cocaine of "maximum purity" was destroyed in a crematorium Tuesday after a 14-month investigation. It was found in 16 pieces of luggage and seized within the Deputy College, a school inside the Russian Embassy.

Officials said the drugs, valued at $93 million, was headed for sale in Russia -- but was replaced with flour by Argentinian officials before it was shipped. The suitcases were also tagged with tracking devices, security minister Patricia Bullrich said.

Two men were arrested when they arrived at a Moscow airport to collect the suitcases, a year after the luggage arrived. Three others in Moscow and two Russians in Argentina were arrested.

The accused ringleader, Andrei Kovalchuk, was arrested in Germany and extradited to Russia in July.

It is unclear why the smugglers took so long to retrieve the luggage.

Bullrich and Dmitry Feoktisov, Russian ambassador to Argentina, ceremonially threw packages of cocaine into a crematorium furnace during the burning Tuesday. Representatives of both countries expressed appreciation for the cooperation evident in the police operation.