Peru police seize $20 mln of cocaine headed for Turkey

28/3/2023 11:25

        Peruvian authorities said Monday they seized 2.3 tonnes of cocaine disguised as ceramic tiles destined for Turkey via a growing maritime route for illicit drugs.
        
        The drug bust happened Friday at a warehouse at Peru's biggest port, El Callao, just outside the capital Lima, police said.
        
        "This is the first incident that we know of (in which the cargo was in) Peruvian ports and its final destination was Turkey. Usually we are aware of ports in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and France," said El Callao's police chief, Colonel Luis Angel Bolanos.
        
        At a press conference Monday, police displayed the cocaine, which had been fixed to rubber sheets to appear as hundreds of ceramic tiles packed in wooden boxes inside a shipping container.
        
        Bolanos said the seized cocaine was valued at "at least $20 million."