Chilean authorities have announced a major breakthrough in their fight against drug trafficking. On Monday, they confirmed the seizure of over 1,000 tons of drugs concealed within lumber shipments destined for Europe. This marks a historic achievement for Chile.
In collaboration with the prosecutor’s office, maritime police, and customs officials, 1,080 tons of wood laced with various drugs were confiscated. This seizure represents a significant blow to organized crime in Chile, according to a statement by the customs bureau.
The intercepted drugs, primarily cocaine and ketamine, have an estimated retail value of $8.3 billion in the European market. To put this into perspective, Vice Adm. Arturo Oxley highlighted that this amount is equivalent to 100 years of Chile’s national budget.
The drugs in these shipments are typically destined for over a dozen global markets, including the United States. Canine teams and special technologies played a crucial role in discovering the drugs. The customs bureau released images of dogs next to the suspect timber to showcase their contribution.
Alejandra Arriaza, the National Director of Customs, emphasized the importance of ongoing staff training and the efforts of canine units in achieving such significant results. She credited the available resources and tools provided by customs and other institutions for this discovery.
After a six-month investigation, authorities identified 45 containers arriving from Bolivia with contaminated wood. Had these shipments reached their intended destinations, extracting the drugs would have required advanced chemical processes in specialized labs.
The total volume of seized drugs could increase as further suspicious containers undergo examination. This operation follows another significant drug bust in April, when Brazilian police, assisted by a sniffer dog named Hulk, seized 48 tons of drugs in Rio de Janeiro.