Ecuadorian authorities have seized 1.25 tonnes of cocaine from a container at the Port of Guayaquil. Smugglers used an unusual method to conceal the drug: they impregnated it into the cardboard boxes used to transport the fruit rather than simply hiding it inside the cargo.
The shipment contained 1,080 cardboard boxes of fruit destined for Spain. Police intercepted the container on August 7 at the Port of Guayaquil following a risk analysis and cargo profiling.
During an inspection, a trained police dog alerted officers to several boxes. A closer examination revealed cocaine between the inner layers of the cardboard.
Police recovered approximately 1,252.8 kg of cocaine. They said the seizure represented around 12.5 million individual doses. Authorities estimated the value of the drug at about $2.85 million on the Ecuadorian market, $37.6 million in the United States and $58.6 million in Europe.
The seizure took place under Operation Fénix, an ongoing effort to identify and intercept drug shipments before they leave Ecuador.
Guayaquil is the country’s main maritime trade hub and a major gateway for exports to international markets.
