Additional Coverage:
- 4 tons of cocaine found hidden in sugar in historic drug bust (newsbreak.com)
Officials in Paraguay recently made the country’s largest-ever cocaine seizure, uncovering over four tons of the drug hidden in a sugar shipment destined for Belgium. This bust, disclosed on Tuesday, represents the second significant instance this week where South American authorities found cocaine concealed in food cargo.
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, addressing the media, described the seizure as part of several unfortunate events that have positioned Paraguay as a critical node in regional drug trafficking networks. Dubbed “Operation Sweetness,” the seizure, worth an estimated $240 million, is part of ongoing efforts to dismantle the narcotics trade.
President Peña emphasized the government’s commitment to combat drug trafficking, indicating enhanced port security measures and a resolve to thwart criminal groups’ use of Paraguay as a transit country.
The operation began on Monday at Puerto Caacupemi in Asunción, where officials from Paraguay’s anti-drug agency, Senad, examined shipping containers loaded with sugar sacks. By Tuesday, they were still processing the cocaine found within the shipment.
Authorities also shared several images from the operation, including one showing Senad agents and a drug-sniffing dog inspecting the sugar sacks. The origins of the narcotics remain uncertain, as Paraguay is not a cocaine producer. However, the country has gained notoriety as a trafficking and smuggling hub, leading to increases in corruption and violence.
Historically, some of Europe’s largest cocaine seizures, particularly in Belgium’s port of Antwerp, have been linked to Paraguay. This follows other significant finds, like the 2020 discovery of 2.3 tons of cocaine in a charcoal shipment.
Senad spokesperson Francisco Ayala highlighted Paraguay’s geographical advantages for organized crime, citing its proximity to major cocaine producers and its robust river traffic system. The timing of this revelation came closely after a similar discovery in Ecuador, where over six tons of cocaine were found hidden in a banana shipment bound for Germany, further underscaring the global scale and challenge of combating drug trafficking.
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- 4 tons of cocaine found hidden in sugar in historic drug bust (newsbreak.com)