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Police found a ton of cocaine bound for Bulgaria in a container at the port of the regional capital Guayaquil, anti-narcotics units in the southwest city reported.
Guayaquil law enforcement officials also seized an additional 1.5 tonnes of cocaine on a sailboat headed for Chile the same day. They also arrested five people.
Dog sniffs booty in Bulgaria
Authorities seized the drugs on Saturday as part of an operation dubbed “Matrix” during a search of the port of Guayaquil, said Manuel Gomez, head of the fight against narcotics in zone 8 of the city.
Ecuadorian police announced details of the findings on Twitter.
The anti-narcotics officer said a police dog drew attention to the substance in the container. He was later “tested positive, presumably for cocaine”.
Gomez told a press conference that “a ton of cocaine was seized, to Bulgaria. “
Ecuadorian authorities became aware that the port of Guayaquil was being used as a new starting point for drugs like cocaine, Ecuadorian media outlet El Comercio reported. The drugs often arrive in Europe through the Panama Canal.
What about the other operation?
In a separate operation codenamed “Jupiter,” the anti-narcotics chief revealed police raided a sailboat “in coordination with U.S. Coast Guard, Ecuadorian Navy and police personnel. Colombian ”.
They discovered that the ship would have been used “for transport drugs by sea“said Gomez.
Police arrested two Ecuadorians, two Colombians and a Mexican during the raid.
Anti-drug police raids cola field in Colombia on the border with Ecuador
He said they are “allegedly responsible for transporting around a ton and a half of cocaine”. Colombia is the region’s main cocaine producer, with 212,000 hectares (approximately 524,000 acres) dedicated to its production.
Ecuadorian police will now transport suspects and evidence to the United States, he reported.
“These results obtained will affect the funds of organized criminals“, added Gomez.
jc / rc (EFE)
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