Anti-narcotic authorities seized 800 kilos of cocaine at the port of Guayaquil that was about to be sent to Valencia, Spain hidden in a shipment of tuna, police said Tuesday.
The drug was found in one of the three containers of the Manta company Pesfrescomar. Each tuna loin, weighing 1 kilo each, contained 4 packs of cocaine weighing 250 grams each.
The drug, valued at US$ 32 million, was wrapped in three packages to avoid being discovered, smelled by the trained dogs, briefed Colonel Freddy Ramos, the chief narcotics Guayas province to reporters. Guayas capital is Guayaquil, the second largest city in the country, 270 miles southwest of Quito.
Police said that the operation was completed on Saturday, and tied the cargo to the company Pesfrescomar, based in the port city of Manta, north of Guayaquil.
According to Ecuadorian sources, the container was opened without braking the seal, by removing the corner screws, and the drug was then placed inside at Guayaquil. The representative of Pesfrescomar was arrested for investigation. Also the Spaniards Francisco Cacabelos Lois, chairman of Prefrescomar,Cacabelos Servando Rodriguez, director, and the Ecuadorian Ana Maria Delgado de la A, export manager, are being sought by the police.
Since the discovery of the drugs in the container, the anti-narcotic brigade has examined 40 tons of frozen tuna loins that were being kept at the Pesfrescomar plant to be check for drugs. Also, another 200 tons of unprocessed tuna were examined. And in both cases, the brigade found nothing irregular.
