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Bolivia seizes 7.6 tonnes of cocaine destined for U.S. market

Xinhua, August 2, 2016 Adjust font size:

Bolivian police seized more than 7.5 tonnes of cocaine destined for the U.S. market and arrested three Bolivians, the Bolivian News Agency said on Monday.

The seizure dealt "a big blow to international drug trafficking," interior minister Carlos Romero said at a press conference.

The 7,580-kilogram cache of "pure cocaine," seized over the weekend, is worth 379 million U.S. dollars, Romero said.

Members of the Bolivian police force's special anti-narcotics unit (FELCN) intercepted the shipment of the white mineral ulexite which was about to ship via container first to Honduras and then eventually to the United States.

The ulexite was found to contain 34.45 percent of cocaine, the official said, adding the investigation that led to this latest drug seizure began in 2015.

The seizure brings the total amount of drugs confiscated so far this year to more than 22 tonnes of cocaine and nearly 100 tonnes of marijuana. Endit