The hallucinogen was being transported on a merchant ship bound for the port of Algeciras in Spain.
This becomes the largest finding of hallucinogens reported in the first days of the year in the Colombian Caribbean.
On Monday morning, more than 60 nautical miles north of Santa Marta, units of the Colombian Navy with the support of the Colombian Aerospace Force found approximately two tons of Cocaine Hydrochloride that were being transported aboard a merchant ship.
The successful joint operation, which lasted more than 18 hours, was carried out thanks to timely Naval Intelligence information that accounted for the possible contamination of a merchant ship that had sailed from Cartagena - department of Bolívar, and was destined for an international port in Algeciras - Spain.
Immediately, all the protocols were activated to protect the crew of the merchant ship victim of contamination, so, it was coordinated with the Colombian Aerospace Force to deploy an aircraft of the Air Combat Command No.3 to monitor in real time the movements of the ship, while, a Quick Reaction Unit of the Coast Guard Station of Santa Marta was in charge of inspecting the high-board ship, in which 81 sacks containing the alleged illicit substance belonging to a transnational crime organization were detected in one of its containers.
The found item was transported to the dock of the Coast Guard Station of Santa Marta to be put into custody of the Basic Anti-Narcotics Regional Criminal Investigation Unit No.8 of the National Police, who when conducting the Approved Preliminary Identification Test, identified that it was about two tons of Cocaine Hydrochloride valued at about 200 million dollars, commercial price in the illegal market of the European continent.
The Colombian Navy is constant in its commitment to continue to conduct military operations, thus hitting the illicit activities of Organized Armed Groups and transnational crime organizations.
Source: Press – Navy of Colombia
