Colombian authorities and 61 other countries have seized a world record amount of drugs and discovered a new trafficking route to Australia.
In a joint task force called Operation Orion, authorities seized 225 tonnes of cocaine, a global record for anti-drug operations. The submarines also carried 1,000 tonnes of marijuana. Some of that haul was travelling to Australia.
Hear how drugs are smuggled into Australia on this episode of Crime Insiders:
The AFP reported that the new route has become increasingly profitable as drug prices are higher in Australia.
The seizure costs drug cartels of more than 8.4 billion US dollars, according to a Navy statement.
The Guardian reported Captain Manual Rodríguez of Colombia’s naval anti-narcotics unit said this is an “important” chunk of the cocaine trade.
“This will prevent thousands of deaths from overdoses and $8.5bn from reaching the cartels which definitely makes a hole in the profits of these criminal organisations,” Rodríguez said.
More than 400 people were arrested in the six-week venture, which also halted shipments of weapons and migrant traffickers.
The operation targeted oceans, coasts, rivers and ports around the globe over October and November.
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