The officials of the Paraguayan country confiscated over 4,013 kilos of cocaine hidden in sugar sacks destined in Belgium. The haul is estimated to be around $240 million, and its discovery brought out the increasing role of this state in the shipment of cocaine from South America into Europe, reported DW.com.
The “Operation Sweetness” involved the anti-drug agency of Paraguay, Senad, with agents who intercepted the shipment at the port of Asunción. President Santiago Peña branded the seizure as a “very sad episode,” though he added that the seizure would disrupt the cocaine trade, and said police trying to track down those responsible.
Paraguay’s crucial geography, combined with its porous borders and a highly complex criminal landscape, has made it increasingly a preferred route for cocaine traffickers. While the seizure is in itself a hard blow to drug traffickers, according to experts, it is probably only part of the bigger picture. Cocaine shipments to European seaports stay high, notably Antwerp in Belgium and Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
