The National Police of Ecuador has intercepted at the maritime port of Guayaquil a shipment of more than 1.2 tons of cocaine camouflaged in 1,080 boxes of fruit that were to be sent to Spain, according to a statement made this Saturday by the Minister of the Interior, John Reimberg.
In the operation, 1,252.8 kilos of cocaine have been counted, according to the preliminary net weight of the substance impregnated in the cartons used for transporting the fruit. The drug was distributed among the different boxes that made up the shipment.
"We continue dismantling criminal economies: 1,080 boxes of fruit impregnated with drugs seized in Guayaquil," Reimberg indicated in a message disseminated on social media, where he provided more information about the police intervention.
The authorities estimate that the amount of narcotic seized would represent about 12,528,000 doses. In the context of the operation, a container and three seals used to secure the merchandise have also been immobilized.
The Ecuadorian Interior Minister has estimated the approximate value of the stash at 37.58 million dollars (32.4 million euros) in the United States and 58.57 million dollars (50.5 million euros) in the European market.
Reimberg has emphasized that this action is part of the strategies of Ecuador's security forces against the structures dedicated to international drug trafficking.