RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The authorities are speaking of the largest blow to the drug trade in the country’s history. The sale value of the seized cocaine is estimated by the authorities at US$1 (R$4) billion.
The Navy has posted a picture of the find on Twitter.
It is possible that the amount of cocaine seized will increase. A total of four containers of cocaine packages are said to have been found – but the authorities have only examined one more closely.
According to current information, the soy flour containers were to be shipped to Togo’s capital Lomé. They had been loaded on Tuesday, December 24th, at a farm in southwestern Uruguay. According to the authorities, the investigators interrogated the owner of the soy production company as well as several truck drivers.
Uruguay – a hub for the cocaine trade
Cocaine seizures have increased in Uruguay over the past year. This suggests that the country has become a hub for cocaine trafficking to Europe and Africa. In November, three tons of the substance were seized in the port of Montevideo.
In August, four and a half tons of cocaine were also found in the port of Hamburg. It was hidden in a container that was transported by ship from Uruguay via Hamburg to Antwerp in Belgium.