Bolivian authorities incinerated 21.6 tonnes of cocaine on Tuesday following what officials described as the largest drug seizure in the country's history, according to reporting by AFP. Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo announced the destruction of the drugs, which were seized on October 15 and had been destined for Germany, in a Facebook post. "We are informing Bolivia and the international community about the incineration of 21.6 tons of seized cocaine," del Castillo wrote.
"This is the largest seizure in Bolivia's history and one of the largest in the region in recent years in a single operation," he added. The drugs were destroyed near the western city of Oruro. Law enforcement sources speaking to AFP said that while authorities initially believed the shipment contained soya mixed with cocaine, laboratory tests revealed it was pure cocaine. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) certified these results. The seizure significantly surpassed the previous record of 8.7 tonnes confiscated in January, which del Castillo had also described as unprecedented at the time.
Deputy Minister for Social Defense and Controlled Substances Jaime Mamani reported that three people connected to the company that was to export the supposed soy shipment had been arrested.
Bolivia ranks as the world's third-largest cocaine producer after Peru and Colombia, according to the UN. The country often serves as a transit route for Peruvian cocaine headed to Brazil and other nations. Bolivian authorities report seizing nearly 33 tonnes of cocaine in 2023.
