Ecuador Seizes 90 Kilos of Cocaine in Container Bound for Italy

Ecuadorian police have confiscated nearly 90 kilograms of cocaine concealed within a shipping container destined for Italy. The discovery was made at the Terminal Portuario de Guayaquil (TPG) during an operation codenamed "Cero Impunidad 24956."

The operation, executed by the National Police's Anti-Drug Investigation Directorate, stemmed from intelligence gathering, information analysis, and cargo profiling. During an inspection, officers, aided by a drug-sniffing dog, located 90 packages hidden within the banana shipment. Field tests confirmed the packages contained cocaine.

One individual, identified as Jonathan F., was apprehended during the operation. Authorities seized the container, a mobile phone, and two seals as evidence. Police estimate the economic impact of this seizure on drug traffickers to be around $200,000 in the domestic market, $2.68 million in the U.S. market, and $4.18 million in the European market.

Ecuador is recognized as the third-largest country globally for drug seizures, following Colombia and the United States. The country has consistently seized around 200 tons of drugs annually since 2021, reaching a record of nearly 300 tons in 2024. Situated between Colombia and Peru, the world's top cocaine producers, and possessing key ports like Guayaquil, Ecuador has become a crucial transit point for cocaine trafficking, primarily to Europe and North America.