BOGOTA, Aug 4 (NNN-TELESUR) — Colombian police seized five tons of cocaine in the port of Cartagena, destined for various cities in Europe and Central America, the Presidency reported Sunday.
The shipments were found in several containers destined for strategic international ports such as Rotterdam (Netherlands), Germany, Guatemala, and Honduras, where drug trafficking networks intended to introduce the drug camouflaged in products such as chili paste, powdered panela, and magnesium silicate.
In total, authorities seized 2.2 tons of cocaine in a container bound for Germany; 2.8 tons hidden in panela powder in another container; and another 177 kilos destined for Central America.
“This event constitutes a significant blow to the finances of criminal structures and a further step towards building a country in peace and with legality,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote on X, highlighting the operation and the role of the National Police in controlling illegal routes and exports.
According to the government, these seizures reflect both the level of sophistication of drug trafficking networks, which resort to camouflaging illicit substances in everyday consumer products, and institutional advances in port intelligence and logistical control.
The operation is part of a comprehensive offensive against drug trafficking in Colombia, with which the Executive Branch seeks to dismantle criminal networks operating nationally and internationally, and reduce the power of illicit economies through an approach that is not only repressive, but also structural. — NNN-TELESUR
