Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced Wednesday that police recently seized 12 tons of cocaine, the biggest single drug-seizure in Colombia’s history.
The cocaine was discovered stored underground during a raid on four farms in a banana-growing area in the northwestern district of Antioquia. Police estimated the value of the seized cocaine around $360 million.
President Santos linked the seized drugs to Dairo Antonio Uusuga, also known as “Otoniel,” who has been identified as the leader of the Gulf Clan, Colombia’s largest drug-trafficking ring. The United States has offered a $5 million reward for his capture or death.
Colombia is one of the world’s leading producers of cocaine, producing an estimated 866 tons in 2016, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes. Police have seized 362 tons of cocaine so far this year.
