Colombian authorities seized four tons of cocaine hidden in 334 boxes inside export containers at Puerto Antioquia in the Urabá region (northwest). The drug was destined for the United Kingdom, police reported on Monday. Police stated that the seizure was «one of the most forceful operations in recent years». This was announced by the director of the National Police's Anti-Narcotics unit, General Wilmar Castaño. According to the police, the drug was detected through scanner analysis conducted by inspectors at the port, located in the department of Antioquia on the Gulf of Urabá, which prevented its departure from the country. The institution explained that with this seizure, «the finances of the Clan del Golfo, the country's main criminal band, are significantly affected,» which is pointed out as one of the responsible parties for the cache. «The finances of narco-criminal structures are directly impacted and the distribution of more than 10 million doses in international markets is prevented,» stated General Castaño. According to the police, which is coordinating with the Prosecutor's Office to advance investigations and identify those responsible, the drug had three types of markings, suggesting the participation of at least three different criminal organizations in the trafficking operation. The Gulf of Urabá, in northwestern Colombia, is a strategic area for drug trafficking due to its exit to the Caribbean Sea and its proximity to routes to Central America, from where the drug continues to the United States and Europe. The region, which connects to the so-called Darién Gap on the border with Panama, has historically been used by criminal organizations as a corridor for sending narcotics through fast boats and contaminated cargo in containers.
