Port of Cartagena, Colombia — Nearly three tons of cocaine bound for Mexico has been seized in Colombia. The cocaine was found inside 20 sacks used to store large merchandise. The sacks were located in Port of Cartagena ready to set sail for Mexico.
In total, 2.8 tons of cocaine, which was mixed with a petroleum derivative, was seized by Colombian authorities in an operation carried out in the Port of Cartagena, police reported.
The operation took place August 26. Anti-Narcotics Director of the Colombian Police, Brigadier General Nicolás Zapata Restrepo, told reporters that the operation is part of the fight against powerful multi-crime gangs.
The senior official explained that the cocaine was mixed with coal-asphaltite, a solid hydrocarbon derived from petroleum, generally used for highway construction and repairs.
A cargo content alert was issued in Bogotá because when verifying the documentation, it was with anomalies with respect to the 20 tons of asphaltite that was listed to be shipped.
When reviewing the containers in Cartagena “the presence of cocaine hydrochloride was found in the coal that was inside 20 sacks used to store large amounts of merchandise and that were ready to sail to Mexico,” the Colombian police explained in a statement.
So far this year, Colombian Police have seized more than 218 tons of cocaine. Colombian authorities have reported that 671 tons of cocaine was seized last year, a record number for the country since 2010, the year the registry began.
