Authorities in Chile said on Monday they had seized more than 100 tons of drugs hidden in a wooden shipment, calling it a “historic” bust.
A statement from Chile’s customs bureau said a total of 1,080.8 tons of wood filled with about 100 tons of illegal drugs were seized at the ports of Arica, San Antonio and Valparaiso.
According to news agency AFP, the wood was to be sent to Europe.
doped wood
The Chilean statement quoted Security Minister Martin Arau as saying the seizure reflected the “grandeur and sophistication” of organized crime facing Chile.
The joint effort of Chile’s prosecutor’s office, maritime police and customs office comes after a six-month investigation that identified 45 containers containing contaminated wood.
Customs officials said the wood was mostly laced with cocaine and ketamine.
“This is the largest seizure in Chile’s history, given that between 10 and 20% of illicit substances were found in each shipment of wood, equivalent to 100 tons of drugs,” the statement said.
The quantity of drugs is estimated to have a retail value of $8.3 billion (€7.19 billion) on the European market, the bureau said.
The Customs Bureau said that if the goods reached their intended destination, the drugs would have to be recovered using “advanced chemical processes” in specialized laboratories.
Edited by: Shawn Sinico
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