Peru seizes 3.4 tons of cocaine bound for Belgium

08:30

By: Sahili Aya

Peru seizes 3.4 tons of cocaine bound for Belgium

Peruvian authorities announced an extraordinary drug seizure on Saturday, reporting that police had intercepted 3.4 tons of cocaine hidden in a shipment of organic bananas bound for Belgium. The operation, conducted in the northern region of Piura, marks one of the largest seizures recorded in the country this year.

According to the Ministry of the Interior, national police officers confiscated 3,407 kilograms of cocaine hydrochloride during a coordinated effort aimed at disrupting international trafficking networks. Interim president José Jeri stated that the drugs originated from the VRAEM region (the Apurímac, Ene and Mantaro River Valley), a major coca-growing area long associated with organized crime.

The operation, carried out on Wednesday, targeted a truck transporting over 3,000 packets of cocaine to a warehouse where export-bound banana crates were being prepared, roughly 100 kilometers from the port of Paita. Police believe the shipment was intended to reach Europe by sea.

General Nilton Santos, head of Peru’s anti-narcotics division, told state media that the intervention was conducted with support from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Authorities estimate the value of the seized cocaine at over 68 million dollars, or about 58.4 million euros.

According to the Peruvian presidency, the trafficking scheme involved a criminal network composed of Peruvian, Colombian, and European citizens. Peru remains one of the world’s top cocaine producers alongside Colombia and Bolivia, with national production estimated at around 400 tons per year.