Dagestan customs officers seize 435 lbs of heroin

Customs officers in south Russia's Dagestan have seized 197 kg (about 435 lbs) of heroin from a citizen of Belarus attempting to smuggle the drugs into Russia in his car, a customs service spokesman said on Thursday.

ROSTOV-ON-DON, October 8 (RIA Novosti) - Customs officers in south Russia's Dagestan have seized 197 kg (about 435 lbs) of heroin from a citizen of Belarus attempting to smuggle the drugs into Russia in his car, a customs service spokesman said on Thursday.

He said a Renault car was detained at the Kazmalyar border checkpoint between Azerbaijan and Russia.

"There were 378 plastic packages containing high-quality heroin in a semitrailer of the car. The total weight [of heroin] was 197 kg," he said.

He said the drugs were smuggled from Iran to Russia via Azerbaijan.