The National Police of Ecuador estimated that, in Cuba, the package would be valued at around 52,800 US dollars.
MIAMI, United States. – The National Police of the Ecuador thwarted the shipment to Havana of a shipment of cocaine hydrochloride camouflaged as chocolate powder, during an anti-drug operation carried out last Sunday, November 16, at the Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito, where a total of 1.76 kilograms of the drug, equivalent to 17,600 doses, were seized.
According to a part of the National Anti-Drug Investigation Directorate of the National Police, “the parcels were destined for Havana (Cuba), where the substance would be valued at around $52,800 US dollars.”
The diary Extrafrom Quito, published that “what seemed like a simple consignment of food products ended up being a shipment of drugs ready to take off for Havana, Cuba.”
According to the police note, the seizure occurred “during an intense day of anti-drug control, which took place on November 16 in the city of Quito,” when the National Police, through the National Anti-Drug Investigation Directorate, seized “thousands of doses of cocaine hydrochloride, which were intended to be sent to Havana-Cuba.”
The operation was carried out through several coordinated actions, called “Choco 1”, “Consignment”, “Choco-ready”, “Container” and “Cocoa”. These interventions were carried out by the National Port and Airport Investigation Unit (UIPA) and the National Canine Unit (CRAC), in the palletizer loading area of the capital airport.
The official report details that, after the inspections, five cylindrical jars were found with “a legend of powdered chocolate” that, inside, contained “a total of 17 latex wrappers” with “a whitish substance” that tested “positive for cocaine hydrochloride.”
Extra specifies that the five cylindrical plastic jars had “labels of a well-known brand of cocoa powder.” The newspaper adds that the value of the shipment is around $4,000 in Ecuador, but “in Cuba the price of the shipment shoots up to more than $52,800, according to the Police calculation.”
The National Police of Ecuador emphasizes that the illicit cargo was ready to be shipped as an air parcel to the Cuban capital.
Regarding criminal responsibilities, the statement indicates that “the police institution continues with investigative efforts aimed at apprehending the perpetrators of this crime,” without offering details for now about people identified or detained in relation to the shipment of the cache.
