4 of 31 'drug suitcases' found; Prosecutor asks to keep case confidential

Bolivian state prosecutors announced Thursday the recovery of four suitcases, reportedly connected to the ongoing 'narcomaletas' case. These items have been secured by the Bolivian Police and will undergo technical analysis to determine their link to the investigation.

According to the Attorney General's Office, the suitcases were voluntarily handed over by individuals who had acquired them months prior, before the Public Ministry was aware of the case. State Attorney General Róger Mariaca Montenegro stated that the four suitcases are part of the 31 mentioned in connection with the case.

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We now have four suitcases in the possession of the Public Ministry and the Bolivian Police, which are part of the 31 suitcases that were mentioned at the time.

Mariaca explained that the investigation revealed the suitcases ended up in a warehouse identified as EvoCé, a location where controlled substances had previously been found. The suitcases were reportedly sold in December of the previous year, before the Public Ministry officially learned of the case on January 20. The prices ranged between 600 and 760 Bolivian pesos.

Information leading to the recovery was obtained through the analysis of a mobile phone belonging to a currently detained legal representative. Data extracted from the device helped reconstruct the path the suitcases took before being sold to third parties. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities seeking to recover the remaining luggage.

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We are talking about December, when the Public Ministry still had no knowledge of this case. We formally became aware of it on January 20 of this year.