Ecuadorian Police Seize Cannabis Shipment in Colombian Border Zone
In the province of Esmeraldas, state forces retained more than half a tonne of marijuana and arrested a suspected member of a drug trafficking gang.
Ecuadorian Police Seize Cannabis Shipment in Colombian Border Zone
In the province of Esmeraldas, located on the northwestern coast and bordering Colombian territory, security personnel seized a shipment exceeding 500 kilograms of dried cannabis. During the operation, a man was taken into custody on suspicion of links to an organisation involved in the illegal trade of psychoactive substances.
The intervention took place in the context of an institutional offensive named 'Zero Impunity-22374', aimed at dismantling networks trafficking drugs within and outside national territory. Along with the confiscated plant, uniformed officers seized a vehicle and a mobile phone which, according to the case file, had been used to manage the illegal shipment.
The detainee was transferred to the authorities responsible for determining criminal liability to advance investigations. It should be noted that the arrested individual is under investigation and no conviction has yet been handed down against him.
Ecuador ranks as the third nation with the highest volumes of drug seized globally, surpassed only by Colombia and the United States. From 2021 onwards, annual seizures have hovered around 200 tonnes, with an unprecedented peak of nearly 300 tonnes recorded during 2024.
Flanked by Colombia and Peru—the world's leading cocaine producers—the country operates high-throughput port terminals such as Guayaquil and uses the US dollar as its legal tender. Together, these factors have made the Andean state an increasingly exploited transit route for criminal organisations directing shipments towards Europe and the northern hemisphere.
Source: Infobae/EFE
Source: Google News EC — Crime