Bolivia announced a record cocaine seizure from the country's western Oruro department, officials said on Friday, giving the drugs a local street value of $224 million but nearly double that in Europe where the illicit cargo was likely headed.
Bolivian President Luis Arce described the roughly 8.8 metric ton bust as the largest ever recorded in the South American country in a post on social media. He added the drugs were hidden in wooden flooring materials found in a truck, and were likely destined to the Netherlands where their value would be estimated at some $526 million.
Nuestro trabajo comprometido con la Patria, está consiguiendo resultados históricos en la lucha contra el narcotráfico. Informamos al pueblo boliviano y a la comunidad internacional que incautamos 8,7 toneladas de cocaína que tenían como destino Países Bajos (Europa), mismos que… pic.twitter.com/I3WTeYP6ua
— Luis Alberto Arce Catacora (Lucho Arce) (@LuchoXBolivia) January 5, 2024
The operation also included the arrest of four suspected drug traffickers, stemming from nine raids, according to officials.
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