Ecuador's National Police and the National Anti-narcotics Directorate, through the Counter-Narcotics Intelligence Unit with European Coordination (UIACE), conducted the 178 Fortaleza Police Operation on the night of November 1, in which they arrested three citizens and seized a ton of cocaine.
The police operation dismantled a family structure dedicated to the trafficking of classified substances subject to control. After several months of investigation, the police established that Mr. B.J. had created a structured criminal group that, together with his family, allowed supplying, storing, and shipping alkaloids to European countries.
The alkaloid of the organization was stored in farms located in strategic areas of difficult vehicular access where they were buried to conceal them. This organization used 2 farms that were located in the canton Naranjal, in the sector of Las Mercedes, where authorities found several jute sacks with a total of 998 packages of cocaine hydrochloride buried underneath banana plantations.
Authorities at the site also found several cartons of the Banana Premium brand and plastic bags, which allowed them to presume that the alkaloid was going to be packed next to the fruit, sent to the port, and shipped in international legal cargo containers.
Several properties located in the Naranjal canton were raided and the authorities seized several vehicles that were used for the mobilization of the members of this organization.
Source: ecuavisa.com