Bolivia announces biggest-ever cocaine bust at nearly 9 tonnes
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LA PAZ – Bolivia announced a record cocaine seizure from the country’s western Oruro department, officials said on Jan 5, giving the drugs a local street value of US$224 million (S$298 million), but nearly double that in Europe where the illicit cargo was likely headed.
Bolivian President Luis Arce described the roughly 8.8-tonne bust as the largest ever recorded in the South American country in a post on social media.
He added that the drugs were hidden in wooden flooring materials found in a truck, and were likely headed to the Netherlands, where their value is estimated at some US$526 million.
The operation included the arrest of four suspected drug traffickers stemming from nine raids, according to officials. REUTERS
