By Karl Penhaul

BOGOTA (Reuter) A team of Russian agents may soon be brought to Colombia
to help smash the growing ties between Colombian drug mobs and the Russian
mafia, diplomats said Wednesday.

Russian ambassador Ednan Agaev said a deal would likely be finalized during
the upcoming visit of Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov to Bogota,
scheduled for Nov. 26.

``We need to establish a legal basis before we can base secret agents and
police here ... We hope to sign an accord with the Colombia government on
the fight against drugs during the visit of Primakov,'' Agaev told Reuters
in a phone interview.

``The size of the team depends on the true dimension of the problem. Its
task would probably be to identify routes and connections and to try and
follow the Russian criminals back to their chiefs in Russia.''

Colombian police chief Gen. Rosso Jose Serrano said ties between Colombian,
Italian and Russian mobs were nothing new and sprang up after the collapse
of Communism.

More than 50 tons of Colombian cocaine have been seized in Russia since the
start of 1996 and this was just a ``small part of the total,'' according to
Agaev.

Colombian police said a cooperation agreement would be signed in the near
future and that the Russian agents would analyze the links between
Colombian and Russian criminals.

Earlier this week the Washington Post reported that the Russian mafia was
distributing Colombian cocaine throughout Russia and Europe and was also
negotiating to sell sophisticated weaponry, including surfacetoair
missiles, helicopters and even submarines to the cartels.

Agaev said the Russian antidrug force sent to Colombia would likely
consist of former KGB agents now regrouped in the Federal Security Service
(FSB), police and members of the intelligence services.

This year Colombia and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration set up a
joint unit to combat the growing trade in highgrade Colombia heroin
estimated to supply about twothirds of the U.S. market.

In addition to signing an antidrug agreement, Primakov is due to meet
President Ernesto Samper, Foreign Minister Maria Emma Mejia and private
sector businessmen. His twoday visit will be the first by a Russian or
Soviet foreign minister.