Russian authorities have announced a major success against a criminal smuggling ring.
But it is not drugs or guns the government have confiscated, but almost 500 tonnes of cheese – worth an estimated £19 million ($30 million).
The bust is the latest incident in the Kremlin’s fight against illegally imported western foods, banned in response to sanctions levelled against the country for its incursions into Ukraine.
Moscow police reportedly arrested six people in connection to the cheese ring on Tuesday.
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Authorities told CBS News that the criminal organisation had been supplying "as cheese a product made from cheese rennet whose import into Russia is forbidden."
Rennet is a complex mix of enzymes, created in the stomachs’ of cows or goats, and used in the manufacture of most cheeses.
The illegal product would have been fixed with counterfeit labels and then sold across Moscow and St Petersburg’s supermarkets and food stores.
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In the course of the investigation, police raided 17 homes, warehouses and offices and reportedly confiscated 470 tonnes of the cheese ingredient.
The crackdown has given rise to a number of improbable videos showing sanctions officers “liquidating” illegal foodstuffs, as well as a highly lucrative black market economy for those Russians willing to put aside their patriotism when it comes to French cheese.
