On Saturday, the Colombian police reported in a statement that they had seized two tons of cocaine belonging to the criminal band of Los Urabeños in the port area of the city of Santa Marta.
According to the report, police officers aided by narcotic dogs found 2,011 kilograms of the alkaloid in a container that was going to be sent to the United States.
The police said that they had found the stash of cocaine, which was preliminarily valued at $56 million dollars, when they were checking a load of bananas that might have been contaminated.
"The cocaine was bound for the United States via Central America," said a source.
So far in 2014, the Colombian police have seized more than 25 tons of cocaine in operations throughout the country.
Los Urabeños band, composed in part by former paramilitaries, is considered by Colombian authorities as one of the most dangerous drug trafficking organizations in the country.
According to a report by the Integrated Intelligence Centre of the security forces released in late April 2013, " Los Urabeños have 2,366 members.
According to the UN, Colombia, which produced 309 tons of cocaine in 2012, is - along with Peru- the world's leading producer of the alkaloid.
Source: AFP