The court gave the defendants of the “cocaine case” up to 18 years

The process took place in the absence of the press due to coronavirus restrictions in Moscow courts.

In parallel, a trial is underway in Argentina against another part of the defendants in the same case – residents of Argentina, high-ranking policeman Ivan Bliznyuk and mechanic Alexander Chikalo, both co-chairs of the Russian Orthodox Patrons in Latin America (MORAL) foundation.

As stated in the materials of the Russian criminal case, in 2016, embassy employees, First Secretary Oleg Vorobyov and supply manager Igor Rogov, found 12 suitcases left for storage by the former supply manager Ali Abyanov under the stairs of the school at the Russian Embassy in Buenos Aires. Inside was a white powder. After that, an operation began, which the Argentine law enforcement agencies called “12 queens.”

In December 2016, operatives from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and specialists from the FSB Criminalistics Institute flew to Buenos Aires, who opened the suitcases, finding inside 362 kg of cocaine with a concentration of 70 to 89%, as well as open packs of coffee, spices (oregano, black and white pepper), boxes washing powder and toilet fragrance – all this was supposed to make it difficult to detect the drug at customs with the help of equipment or dogs.

The suitcases themselves were confiscated by members of the Argentine National Gendarmerie; they were equipped with GPS sensors, and the contents were replaced with flour. The lock on the back room door was replaced, a surveillance camera was installed at the entrance, and the school organized round-the-clock duty.

Later it turned out that the suitcases belonged to a businessman from Germany, Kovalchuk, who was engaged in the sale of elite goods (alcohol, cigars, caviar), was familiar with the embassy staff and was known to them as a person connected with the Russian special services, the “curator” of the embassy and “almost not a general.” In the media, Kovalchuk was called a former employee of the Russian Embassy in Germany; The Russian Foreign Ministry categorically denied that the businessman had ever been his employee.

Argentine law enforcement agencies recorded meetings and negotiations between Kovalchuk and police officer Ivan Bliznyuk, who oversaw perimeter security at the embassy, ​​and in addition, organized joint events of the Russian and Argentine Interior Ministry – for example, sports competitions attended by Russian Deputy Interior Minister Igor Zubov.

Kovalchuk was known, among other things, by the first secretary of the embassy, ​​Vorobyov, to whom the businessman periodically turned with various requests; the former supply manager Abyanov has been carrying out various assignments for Kovalchuk (related to the storage or sending of things through diplomatic channels) since 2012, according to the materials of the Russian criminal case.

After the discovery of the suitcases, Vorobyov and the new supply manager Rogov continued to communicate with Kovalchuk as before, so as not to reveal to him the plans of the Russian and Argentine law enforcement agencies. During this period, Kovalchuk tried to get the suitcases sent to Russia, using a military transport aircraft and, among other things, mentioning that “Valentina Matvienko’s things” were stored in the suitcases.

It was possible to transport the suitcases to Russia only a year later, in November 2017, and for this, the aircraft of the special flight squad “Russia”, serving the highest officials of the state, was used. This particular aircraft, in particular, was used by Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev.

Vladimir Kalmykov and Ishtimir Khudzhamov came to receive the cargo at the warehouse of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Vasilisa Kozhina Street in Moscow; they communicated with Kovalchuk and previously chartered a private plane for their own € 10 thousand, which Kovalchuk planned to use to transport suitcases (then his plan fell through).

Kalmykov and Khudzhamov claimed that they did not know about the true contents of the suitcases: according to their version, there should have been elite Kopi Luwak coffee (its grains pass through the digestive tract of the Asian musang animal), which they planned to sell in Russia. At the time of his arrest, Kalmykov was the general director of the Center for Legal Services company, a member of the United Russia party, and in the past he “worked in high positions in the Central Committee of the CPSU”, “served on a submarine, showed courage, was awarded hours for extinguishing a fire in compartment,” his lawyer said.

Argentine Security Minister Patricia Bullrich officially announced the cocaine incident only after the completion of the operation and the arrest of all suspects in both countries, in early 2018.