Russian authorities on Wednesday announced the seizure of 820 kilograms of cocaine smuggled under a shipment of bananas, calling it the country’s largest drug haul from Latin America so far this year.

The bust, carried out by Russia’s customs service in coordination with the FSB security agency, uncovered packages of cocaine stashed in a hidden compartment of banana containers. The bricks were marked with the logo of a French luxury fashion house, officials said.

The shipment, valued at more than 12 billion rubles (about $153 million), came to light after a tip from “foreign colleagues” about plans by a South American criminal network to move cocaine into Russia. Investigators have opened a case into large-scale drug trafficking, a charge that can carry a life sentence under Russian law.

Russia maintains a strict stance on narcotics, with heavy penalties even for trafficking small quantities. Foreigners are often among those prosecuted.

The state-run newspaper Izvestia reported that cocaine smuggling through Russia has risen sharply over the past two years.

The Ukrainian port of Odesa, once a key transit point, has been largely cut off due to the ongoing Russian offensive, pushing traffickers to reroute shipments through Russian ports instead.

Officials described the seizure as a significant blow to criminal operations seeking to exploit Russia as a transit hub for Latin American cocaine bound for Europe and Asia.