Ecuadorian authorities have seized 1.6 tonnes of cocaine hidden in containers bound for Europe. The operation took place at the port of Posorja in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city, where sniffer dogs helped uncover the drugs.
Police stated the seized cocaine, valued at $74 (~€63) million, would have a “direct impact on the financing of drug trafficking.” Ecuador is ranked as the third-largest drug-seizing country globally after Colombia and the United States.
Since 2021, the country has intercepted an average of 200 tonnes of drugs annually, with a record 300 tonnes seized in 2024.
Ecuador is also frequently used as a transit point for cocaine shipments headed for Europe and North America.
