Cocaine ‘rots’ in European SAD

Two days ago, Ecuador’s armed forces carried out a new operation near the coastal city of Manta, arresting seven suspects and seizing more than a ton of cocaine.

The drugs were transported on three boats, in 40 black bales, local security services said.

Since the beginning of the year, 43 tons of cocaine have been seized in waters controlled by Ecuador’s armed forces, more than 5.5 tons in the past 10 days alone, according to the South American country’s Defense Ministry. Their actions have prevented the drug from reaching Europe and other markets.

They explained that the drug mafia suffered a blow of around 840 million dollars with these seizures…

As for the recent seizure, which saw 4.5 tons of cocaine seized last week, they explain that it took place via the so-called desert route, which has been widely used for drug trafficking in the past:

“The route involves smuggling between Manabi and the Galapagos Islands, eventually reaching the United States of America and Europe,” the ministry said.

The cocaine routes that enter Europe and therefore Montenegro begin precisely in South America. Since the end of 2023, the government of Ecuador has been fighting the drug mafia that uses its territory for drug trafficking.

An interlocutor from a foreign security service previously explained to “Vijesta” that the archipelago of the Ecuadorian Galapagos Islands is a so-called transit zone, from which drugs are shipped to American and European soil.

“Cocaine from the Galapagos archipelago usually goes to famous sailing ships that arrive there, larger ocean fishing boats, and it happened and still happens very often that large ocean liners pick it up at an agreed time, at an agreed position at sea, at a distance of about 200 nautical miles from the Galapagos. Fishing boats wait for large ships, moor next to them, while the ship’s crew uses the ship’s cranes to load the cargo very quickly. Usually, waterproof packages are placed in the so-called jumbo bags, up to a ton, which the ship’s crane lifts to the main deck in a few minutes. If it is a larger quantity and a container ship (as in the case of ‘MSC Gayane’), that cargo is divided and taken to predetermined containers, with a known and established destination in advance,” he said.

NARCO PLACE

In addition to fighting transnational drug cartels that smuggle cocaine by sea, Ecuador’s armed forces also control the airspace. They do this to prevent drug planes linked to these cartels from landing on their country’s territory.

Since the beginning of the year, a total of 30 runways have been discovered and disabled during this operation.

“The surveillance and control of airspace carried out this year by the Ecuadorian Air Force prevented drug aircraft linked to transnational organized crime groups from landing in Ecuadorian territory. The elimination of secret airstrips or areas prepared for the operation of illegal aircraft linked to drug trafficking has been intensified since the end of 2023, when eight airstrips were eliminated, and so far in 2024, 30 airstrips have been eliminated,” the ministry said.

They point out that the fierce fight being waged by the national government, led by the President, against drug trafficking and narco-terrorist groups continues to yield positive results through the intelligence work of military personnel of the Armed Forces…

“Which made it possible, starting from the beginning of 2024, to destroy and render unusable these 30 secret airstrips or areas prepared for the operation of illegal aircraft linked to drug trafficking… These actions, carried out at a national level, continue to contribute to the continued weakening of local drug terrorist groups and transnational organized crime, which are carried out by the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defense and the Government of Ecuador”, explained two days ago from the Ministry of National Defense of Ecuador.

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