Colombia today hailed its biggest ever seizure of illegal drugs after police found eight tonnes of cocaine hidden in a banana plantation.
The cocaine, which has an estimated value of $240 million (£167 million), was found in the coastal town of Turbo near the Panama border where it was ready to be shipped to Central America and on to the US.
Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos congratulated officers on Twitter, saying: “Operation in Turbo seized the greatest amount in our history.” He described the seizure as “a hit against criminals”.
Nearly 1.5 tonnes of the drugs was wrapped “and ready to go out to the export market”, defence minister Luis Carlos Villegas said.
The packages were found in an underground tank concealed by a layer of wooden planks. Entrances to the tank were hidden under a layer of cement.
Aviation police spotted the smuggler den and the banana farm was stormed by 50 commandos backed by two Black Hawk helicopters over the weekend. Four people were arrested and another three escaped.
Police said the drugs belonged to Clan Úsuga — one of the country’s most ruthless crime groups. Clan Úsuga, also known as Los Urabeños, is mainly engaged in drug trafficking but is also said to be involved in extortion, illegal mining, kidnapping and murder.
The gang has an estimated 2,000 active members. Security forces have captured 6,700 members over the past five years.
The US Justice Department calls Clan Úsuga Colombia’s “largest and most influential drug trafficking group”, and has offered a $5 million (£3.4 million) reward for the capture of its leader, Dairo “Otoniel” Úsuga.
It says he leads “a heavily armed, extremely violent criminal organisation comprised of former members of terrorist organisations that did not demobilise as part of the Colombian government’s justice and peace process”.
Colombia’s government had said it would launch air raids against drug-trafficking gangs.
