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Published Monday, February 17, 2020
More than five tons of cocaine found in a
cargo of plants being exported to Holland
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Drug Control Police officers carried out during this weekend the largest single seizure of drugs recorded in the history of Costa Rica.
According to the police report, more than five tons of cocaine were found inside a container that also held a shipment of ornamental plants to Rotterdam in The Netherlands. It was to be exported Sunday.
The 5,048 kilograms of cocaine, became the largest seizure of drugs in this country, police said in their report.
According to the investigation, the case began on Friday when police were reviewing the containers that were inside the APM Terminals port in Moín in Limón.
Using the container inspection regular processes, the police found elements that classified with a red flag one of the containers. After an examination, 202 black briefcases containing 4,975 packages of drugs were found.
The police managed to locate the truck that transported the container inside the port. The truck was driven by a man surnamed Rodríguez-Méndez, 46. The man was taken to the cells of the Public Ministry where he was interrogated by the judicial agents and after that, a judge ordered three months pre-trial jail against him.
This is a modus operandi similar to when drugs were hidden in exporters shipments in 2019.
In November a shipment of 300 packages of cocaine turned up hidden in bananas being exported in a container at the same APM terminal port, said police.
According to the police report, during a review of the containers ready to be shipped police found a load of packages of cocaine.
The container with the drug was about to be exported with bananas from Costa Rica to Setúbal port in Portugal, police said.
"The shipment was 300 packages of cocaine, each weighing approximately one kilogram of the drug," said the police in its report.
In October police found approximately 954 kilos of cocaine in a container that was to be exported to Belgium.
According to the police report, during a routine review, also at APM Terminal port, officers found several black packages that were inside a container. That container was loaded with banana pulp that was going to be exported to the European country.
"The container is 20 feet long, and inside were 29 bags with 954 packages of approximately one kilogram of cocaine each," said the police in its report.
Also in October police found 250 kilos of cocaine in another cargo of plants being exported to Holland.
According to the police report, during a routine review process, officers, also at APM Terminals, found the drug hidden inside the containers that were already placed inside a ship headed to Europe. The ship was bound for Rotterdam in The Netherlands, said police in its report.
According to officials, the load of ornamental plants looked as legal. However, when the officers made a more detailed review, they found eight packages, which contained the drug. The police did not report any detainees concerning this case.
Judicial agents are investigating the person or company that was sending the shipments to Europe.
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Should the authorities implement more technology in the review of the containers to find illegal substances before shipping? We would
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