Authorities in the South American country of Guyana said on Sunday that they had seized more than 8,000 pounds of gold. Cocaine Authorities said the body was found in dense jungle near the Venezuelan border, just weeks after a “narco sub” was found in the region.
The land seizure is believed to be the largest in recent history, with Security Minister Robson Benn telling reporters he estimated the drugs were worth at least $200 million.
Officials said the drugs were found in mud pits in Guyana’s northwestern region.
A customs official said the cocaine was kept near a secret airstrip to be shipped to Europe. James Singh, head of the anti-narcotics unit of Guyana’s customs agency, said smugglers had dug holes in the ground to hide the cocaine and then covered them with wooden planks.
Police have arrested one suspect and said they were searching for two others who fled the scene.
The operation involved Guyana’s police and military as well as the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
“We are pleased to have the DEA with us who are sharing information and intelligence,” Ben said. “Guyana is a victim of this illicit activity. We don’t produce cocaine; we don’t transit it.”
The drugs were seized from the area where the police Makeshift submarines found Called “narco subs,” they have been found hidden in the woods in recent months. Officials said it was unclear if any of them were actually used, but they said they would increase surveillance in that area.
Interpol
Just a few weeks ago, Interpol said that a home-made bomb “Narco Sub” A ship seized in the Guyana jungle was capable of carrying up to 3 tonnes of cocaine at a time, and there were warnings that smugglers in the region could use semi-submersible vessels to transport the cocaine through the rivers of South America before crossing the Atlantic Ocean, eventually reaching Western Europe.
Interpol said the semi-submersible ship also confiscated 615 tonnes of illicit drugs and 505 tonnes of precursor chemicals from 31 different countries, worth $1.6 billion, as well as 65 stolen cars.
Semi-submersibles, which cannot go fully underwater, are popular with international drug smugglers because they often evade authorities. seized in Colombian waters while headed to the United States, Central America and Europe.
Earlier this summer, the Colombian Navy Said It seized two vehicles off the country’s Pacific coast carrying a total of nearly 5 tons of cocaine headed for Central America, Colombian authorities said. said at that time Authorities have so far intercepted 13 submarines in 2024 after intercepting 20 semi-submersibles in 2023.
AFP contributed to this report.