Baku-APA. Ecuador's anti-narcotic agents from the National Police seized at least three tons of cocaine in an operation held in the southwestern coastal province of Santa Elena, Ecuador's Interior Minister Jose Serrano announced Friday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.
"The amount of drug is significantly increasing," said the minister via Twitter after 11 people were arrested in the operation from Thursday night to early Friday morning.
Serrano said those arrested are related to the most powerful Colombian paramilitary and drug trafficking band called "Los Urabenos", adding "This is one of the most important blows against the drug mafias in recent years. We will no longer allow these actions of the criminal organizations."
The anti-narcotic agents told local media that the drug was camouflaged in packages hidden in jute bags found in the water tank of a rustic house, noting that it will give more details of the anti-drug operation in the coming hours.
At the site, there was an audio-video security system to identify people who entered.
The undercover agents said the drug was allegedly ready to be sent out of the country by sea.
The Interior Ministry said so far this year 38 tons of drugs have been seized, while in 2012, a total of 42 tons were seized.
In 2011, 26 tons of drugs were seized, compared with 18 tons in 2010.
The record was made in 2009 with the seizure of 68 tons of drugs, according to figures of the Ecuadorian government.
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