Colombian Navy seizes 854 kilos of drugs in the Pacific and strikes at drug trafficking worth USD 26 million
Two naval operations in the Colombian Pacific resulted in 854.1 kg of cocaine and marijuana seized and five citizens arrested.
Two drug-trafficking route interdictions in the Colombian Pacific
The Colombian National Navy seized 854.1 kilograms of cocaine and marijuana in two maritime operations carried out in the Colombian Pacific, according to infobea.com. The institution calculated that the operations affected the finances of drug-trafficking organisations by more than 26 million dollars and resulted in the capture of five Colombian citizens.
Both procedures were carried out in waters under the jurisdiction of the Pacific Naval Force, with support from the Buenaventura Coast Guard Station, in the department of Valle del Cauca. The drugs were found distributed across two vessels intercepted during navigation inspections.
First operation: "Blessed 100%"
The first operation targeted a langostero-type speedboat identified as "Blessed 100%", which was navigating with three crew members on board. Naval units detected breaches of maritime regulations and conducted the vessel to the facilities of the Buenaventura Coast Guard.
A specialised inspection, backed by a canine unit, made it possible to discover hidden compartments in the boat's benches. In those spaces, 500 rectangular packages were found. The Criminal Investigation Section of the National Police (Sijín) applied the Standardised Preliminary Identification Test (Piph), which confirmed 500.5 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride. The three occupants were placed at the disposal of the judicial authorities.
Second operation: wind-and-tide-type vessel
The second operation occurred during an inspection visit to a wind-and-tide-type vessel, crewed by two Colombians. The coast guards found 13 bundles containing 359 rectangular packages with characteristics consistent with illicit substances.
The material was transferred to a naval facility for verification. The Piph determined that the cargo consisted of 353.6 kilograms of marijuana. The two crew members were placed at the disposal of the competent authorities to define their legal situation.
Balance and estimated impact
With the two seizures, the total haul reached 854.1 kilograms of narcotics: 500.5 kg of cocaine and 353.6 kg of marijuana. The Navy estimated that the operations prevented the circulation of approximately 1.3 million doses of narcotics in illegal markets.
Frigate Captain Daniel Gutiérrez, commander of the Buenaventura Coast Guard Station, assessed the scope of the seizures. "In the course of two maritime interdiction operations carried out in the waters of the Colombian Pacific, the National Navy, through the Buenaventura Coast Guard Station, succeeded in seizing eight hundred and fifty-four kilograms of narcotics and the capture of five subjects of Colombian nationality," the officer stated.
Parallel finding in Cartagena
On the same 4 November, the Caribbean Naval Force reported another significant seizure at the port of Cartagena. Units of the Coast Guard and the National Police's Anti-Narcotics Directorate (Diran) found 405 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride hidden in a container aboard a merchant vessel bound for the island of Malta.
Officials found 17 bundles containing 405 rectangular packages of suspicious substance. The Piph confirmed that it was cocaine. The Navy estimated the value of that cargo at more than 22 million dollars in the illegal market, with the capacity to distribute more than one million doses.
The institution indicated that it will maintain maritime control and interdiction operations in coordination with other authorities, with the objective of identifying illicit cargo, locating those responsible and reinforcing security in the maritime and port spaces of the country.
Source: Google News CO — Crime