Authorities in Guyana made their largest ever seizure of cocaine, taking more than 8,000 pounds from the jungle near the border with Venezuela. Officials said the seizure is the biggest drug bust in Guyana’s history.
The South American country’s security minister estimated the drugs’ value at around $200 million. Police said traffickers dug holes in the ground and stashed the cocaine before covering the holes with wooden planks.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency participated in the operation that led to one suspect’s arrest. Police said they are still looking for two more suspects who ran from the scene.
Authorities seized the large amount of cocaine in an area where Guyanese police found improvised submersible vessels hidden in the jungle in recent years. Officials said it is unclear if any of those vessels were actually used but vowed to step up monitoring in that region.
The seized cocaine was reportedly meant to be shipped to a European country.
Guyana’s security minister said the bust is part of Guyana’s ongoing efforts to combat drug trafficking in the region.
