Ecuador seized around 8.8 tons of cocaine hidden between bananas in a container bound for Belgium at the port of Guayaquil, police said on Sunday.
“Record seizures in 2023 of more than eight tons of cocaine,” wrote police commander General Fausto Salinas on his Twitter account.
RECORDED IN 2023 IN LA INCAUTACIÓN DE MÁS DE 8 TONELADAS DE COCAÍNA
Mediate technical details of the perfilamiento and investigación en contenedores en el puerto de #GYE
Avoiding the $90 million international trade which is estimated at $330 million in Europe#MásFuertesQueNunca pic.twitter.com/4U2UGhurYC
– Degree. Fausto Salinas Samaniego (@CmdtPoliciaEc) February 26, 2023
“We prevented (international sales of) 90 million cans worth $330 million in Europe,” he estimated, broadcasting video showing police officers searching the container.
Sitting between Colombia and Peru – the world’s top cocaine producers – Ecuador seized a record quantity of the drug in 2021: around 210 tons bound for European ports.
In 2022, more than 200 tons were seized, 61% of which were hidden under bananas destined for export. Since the beginning of 2023, they have reached a total of 31 tons.