BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombian police have arrested a 40-year-old man trying to smuggle several cocaine bags hidden under two-pees that have been meticulously attached.
Police said the suspect was taken into custody at Cartagena airport on Monday as he prepares to board a flight to Amsterdam. The scanner revealed the hidden cargo: 220 grams of cocaine was packaged in small bags and strategically placed under what authorities described as “drug wigs.”
Police estimate the street value of the drug at around 10,000 euros in the European market.
A police video released Monday captured the moment when an officer in blue gloves carefully removed the suspect’s wig with scissors, revealing about 12 packets of cocaine. Further police statements confirmed the suspect’s previous criminal history. This included two previous drug trafficking convictions.
“Organized crime groups are exploiting youth and are falsely proposing that security measures can be easily bypassed,” said General Jerber Yerdo Peña, Commander of the Cartagena Police Department. “But this case shows that it’s not true.”
Cocaine production in Colombia has been on the rise since 2013, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Related Stories
A report released by international organizations in October found that coca bushes cultivation increased by 10% in Colombia in 2023, with potential cocaine production increasing by 53% from the previous year.
The 2016 peace agreement with the FARC rebels was aimed at restraining coca cultivation in rural areas, but small armed groups fill the electricity vacuum and actively engage in favor of cocaine trade. It is promoting to.
By Manuel Ruda
