Officials from Ecuador and Colombia are making significant efforts to reduce the advances of narcotrafficking in their territories. In essence, they are increasing their focus on the banana industry, an important source of income for both nations.
In a June 2023 investigation, Ecuador’s state-owned TC Televisión and the transnational media initiative CONNECTAS warned about the increase in drug exports from Ecuador using banana shipments due to the lax export system.
The investigation cites police sources, which reported that 127 companies were found to have participated in the concealment of drugs in banana shipment in the 326 seizures carried out in the last five years. Sixty of these were repeat offenders. Between May and June 2023 alone, authorities seized 4,800 kilograms of cocaine that were hidden in containers with boxes of Ecuadorian bananas.
Source: dialogo-americas.com
