3.5 Tonnes of Cocaine Seized in Ecuador – Headed for UK and Netherlands
Police in Ecuador have smashed a major drug haul, seizing around 3.5 tonnes of cocaine destined for the UK and the Netherlands. The massive find came from two separate banana cargo containers targeted last Saturday.
Huge Drug Haul Hidden in Banana Boxes
The first shipment was caught red-handed near the port of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s largest port and a growing hotspot for drug trafficking. It held 2,300 packets, each weighing a kilo, packed into 92 banana boxes. The second shipment, found at another location nearby, contained 1,218 packets tucked into 87 banana boxes.
Police revealed one container was bound for the UK, while the other was headed to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the bust.
Guayaquil: A Drug Trafficking Hotbed
Guayaquil has become a magnet for drug traffickers, forcing Ecuadorian authorities to ramp up drug-sniffing operations on cargo containers. This latest success follows another major seizure just a day earlier, where cocaine was found hidden in 4,800 tuna cans inside an apartment in the port city of Manta on Ecuador’s central coast.
Regional Drug Busts on the Rise
The crackdown extends beyond Ecuador. El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele recently announced his country’s forces intercepted a shipment carrying 2.2 tonnes of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean, signalling intensified efforts across the region to stem the drug trade.
