The destination was the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Cocaine was detected in 131 boxes of the fruit. There is a detainee.
The National Police announced that, with the participation of several members of the National Anti-Drug Investigation Directorate, a large number of cocaine hidden inside a container for export.
Through profiling techniques, and with the help of the dog Noak, a shipment was inspected with ecuadorian bananawhich was going to start from Guayaquilly had as destination port Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.
“Found 131 banana boxes contaminated with 2,000 rectangular packages. Inside those packages there was a whitish substance, the same that when subjected to field tests tested positive for one ton 998 kilos of cocaine. That represents 19,980,000 doses, “said the information provided by the Police.
So far, the authorities have confirmed the arrest of one person, but no other details.
On January 23, 2022, the ambassador of the European Union in Ecuador, Charles-Michel Geurts, warned that during the last three years there has been a considerable increase in drug seizure camouflaged in ecuadorian exports.
Most of the cases found were concentrated in three European ports, according to the diplomat: Antwerp (Belgium), Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Valencia (Spain).
“Those are the ports where we see the number of tons increase. I have the data from Antwerp for 2019: it was 66 tons,” assured Geurts.
The reputation of the export sector is at stake
In July 2021, main export guilds denounced the growing problem of drugs infiltrated in Ecuadorian shipments abroad, especially from banana.
At that time, more than 17 tons of illicit substances on arrival at ports in more than eight countries such as Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, since 2018.
Juan José Pons, coordinator of the Banana Cluster, stressed that the findings of drug on containers affect a sector that represents 62% of the country’s agri-food exports.
«It is a problem of reputation, of stamp of origin. Income losses cannot be quantified; but if it continues to escalate, the result will be that markets are closed and international importers look for other suppliers », he limited.
For his part, General Giovanni Ponce, National Antinarcotics Director, acknowledged that it is not clear at what point the drug is included in the shipmentsbecause everything can be contaminated on the farm, the container yard, the shipping company, or the transit ports.
However, he pointed out that one of the most accepted hypotheses is that the drug stands on the path; that is, after the company puts the product in the port of departure. (JS)
HARD BLOW ON DRUG TRAFFICKING????
On #GYEprofiling techniques allowed to apprehend 1 TON 998 kilos of cocaine, which were hidden in a container.
????The substance was intended for the international market.#Investigative Axis#PlanRescateEcuador pic.twitter.com/l0v5r0ACsJ
– Police Ecuador (@PoliciaEcuador) March 5, 2022
