Peruvian police and army officials have confiscated almost a ton of cocaine this week during two separate operations in the coca-growing region known as the Apurimac and Ene river valley, or VRAE.
On Thursday, police in the counter-narcotics division, known as Dirandro, seized 415 kilograms of cocaine in Ayacucho department’s Huanta province, daily El Comercio reported. One Colombian and six Peruvians were arrested in the operation.
Meanwhile, six days ago a military patrol confiscated 540 kilograms of cocaine chlorohydrate in Satipo province, located in Junin region.
“We congratulate the actions of the Ministry of the Interior, of the police and of the armed forces, because together results can be achieved,” said Ricardo Soberon, executive president of Devida, the government’s drug policy agency. “We are working together on intelligence.” Soberon said that a focus on seizing more narcotics and the chemicals used to produce cocaine are producing the current results.
According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, the cocaine was destined for the United States, Spain and England.
Peru is the world’s biggest producer of the coca leaf, which is used to make cocaine. The VRAE is Peru’s top coca-growing area.
Most of the cocaine is shipped to the United States and Europe.
