Cocaine hidden in van: 22 kilos seized on Cusco highway
Two alleged members of the Los Hábiles de Patria criminal gang were arrested in Cusco with 22.8 kg of cocaine hidden in compartments of a van.
Los Hábiles de Patria gang: anti-drugs agents seize nearly 23 kilos of cocaine in van in Cusco
Anti-drugs agents intervened against two alleged members of the criminal gang Los Hábiles de Patria on the Paucartambo-Patria highway, at the height of Chayabamba district, in the Cusco region, after finding 22 kilos and 880 grammes of cocaine hydrochloride hidden in a van. According to infobae.com, the substance was distributed in 22 brick-shaped packages, concealed in the wheel arches and the area behind the bumper of the vehicle.
One of those intervened was identified as Pío Darío Yapura Cutiri, 33 years old, who was travelling with his wife, Zenobia Chura Zamata, and a three-year-old daughter. According to information disclosed by Latina, the driver showed evident nervousness during the police check, which prompted the application of adherence tests on the bodywork.
An officer informed the driver that field tests would be carried out in different areas of the vehicle and asked him whether he had ever transported cocaine hydrochloride in that unit. The man intervened answered negatively, but the agents continued with the inspection.
During the search, police used a metal punch-type rod to examine the boot. Upon inserting it into one of the compartments, they detected a whitish and powdery substance. The application of a chemical reagent produced a turquoise-blue colouration, a result that constituted a presumptive indication of the presence of cocaine hydrochloride.
Following the discovery, the driver was arrested for his alleged involvement in the crime of illicit drug trafficking. The inspection extended to other parts of the van, where further wrapped packages were found, arranged to evade police checks. The 22 packages recovered bore the image of a crab in bas-relief, a mark that could serve to identify the cargo and establish its origin.
The seizure represents an estimated economic impact of more than 128,000 soles for networks linked to illicit drug trafficking in the area.
Those detained were placed at the disposal of the Anti-Drugs Directorate (Dirandro) of Cusco to continue investigations. The three-year-old girl who was inside the van at the time of the intervention was placed under the care of the Family Prosecutor's Office, while the circumstances of the case are clarified.
Source: Google News PE — Crime