Colombia seizes 7.6 tonnes of cocaine bound for Netherlands

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 21 Oct, 22:20 · Archive

Colombian authorities have seized 7.6 tonnes of cocaine at Cartagena port, the largest haul there in a decade.

Colombian authorities have seized 7.6 tonnes of cocaine at the port of Cartagena bound for the Netherlands. President Abelardo de la Espriella announced the seizure on Tuesday, calling it the largest cocaine haul at the Cartagena port in the last ten years. The drugs were hidden in powdered panela, an unrefined cane sugar, and were discovered by Colombia's anti-narcotics directorate in an operation coordinated with the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

De la Espriella said his government had seized 132 tonnes of cocaine, worth around $6.1 billion, in its first 75 days. 'There is no truce against narco-terrorism! Every dose we prevent from reaching the streets saves lives, and every dollar we take from them weakens their criminal structures,' he said.

Separately, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service confirmed that two Dutch nationals had been arrested in Colombia at its request. Colombian prosecutors named them as Ronny and Ulrich. Neither authority has linked the arrests to the seizure.

How it is being reported

• Colombia seizes 7.6 tonnes of cocaine in biggest haul in a decadeColombian authorities have seized 7.6 tonnes of cocaine at the Caribbean port of CartagenaAl Jazeera · 21 Oct, 21:51
• Colombia seizes 7.6 tonnes of Netherlands-bound cocaine at Cartagena portSeparately, two Dutch nationals wanted by prosecutors in the Netherlands have been arrested in Colombia.Euronews · 21 Oct, 20:20

In this story: Colombia · Netherlands · Abelardo de la Espriella · Cartagena · DEA · Dutch Public Prosecution Service

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