Two tonnes of cocaine seized in fruit container in Machala
Ecuadorian police discovered over two tonnes of cocaine at the port of Machala. The drugs were hidden in a cargo container destined for Sweden.
Drug-sniffing dog alerts: 2,040 cocaine packages found in fruit crates
At the port of Machala, Ecuadorian police seized more than two tonnes of cocaine. According to nau.ch, the drugs were hidden in a fruit container that was to be shipped from Puerto Bolívar port to Sweden.
During inspection of the export container on Sunday evening, a drug-sniffing dog alerted officers. Authorities subsequently found a total of 2,040 cocaine packages between the fruit crates. Interior Minister John Reimberg and police announced the discovery on the platform X.
The investigation is now focusing on how the drugs entered the container and who was involved in the shipment, according to Ecuadorian news portal "Expreso".
Ecuador has developed into a significant transit country for cocaine from Colombia and Peru in recent years. Smugglers regularly hide the drugs in export goods such as banana crates that are shipped to Europe.
In April, investigators at Hamburg port seized cocaine worth around 30 million euros in a banana container from Ecuador — packaged in 1,600 packages.
Source: Google News CH — Crime (de)