QUITO, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- A total of 3.5 tons of cocaine has been seized at the seaport of Guayaquil in a police operation, Ecuadoran police reported on Friday.
The drug, packed in 88 suitcases, was hidden in a banana container bound for Belgium, said General Victor Zarate, an Ecuadoran police commander, adding that the seizure is "a heavy blow" to drug dealers and the legal representative of the company exporting banana containers was detained.
In 2021, Ecuadoran police seized the annual record of 210 tons of drugs, mostly cocaine. And so far in 2022, police have seized 144 tons of drugs in Ecuador.
Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso has declared a frontal fight against drug trafficking in his country, which he blamed for a spike in crime and violence.
In his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, Lasso called for international support to fight against drug trafficking, saying that "transnational crime requires a transnational solution." ■
