Peruvian anti-narcotics authorities have intercepted 3.4 tons of cocaine hidden in a shipment of bananas bound for Belgium, officials announced Saturday.
As part of a major crackdown on drug trafficking, the Peruvian National Police seized 3,407 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride in the Piura region, preventing its export abroad, according to a statement from the Ministry of Interior.
President José Jerí noted that the seized shipment originated from the VRAEM region (Apurímac, Ene, and Mantaro river valleys), one of Peru’s largest coca-growing areas.
During Wednesday’s operation, police confiscated a truck carrying over 3,000 cocaine packages, destined for a warehouse where boxes of bananas were being prepared for export, approximately 100 kilometers from the port of Paita, officials said.
General Nilton Santos, head of Peru’s anti-drug agency, told TV Perú that the operation was conducted with support from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). He estimated the value of the intercepted drugs at over $68 million.
The Peruvian presidency said the shipment was organized by a criminal network comprising Peruvian, Colombian, and European nationals, targeting the European market.
According to the United Nations, Peru, along with Colombia and Bolivia, is a major global producer of cocaine, with national output estimated at around 400 tons annually.
