Suspicions Behind Bolivia’s ‘Largest Ever Cocaine Seizure’

The announcement of the seizure of 21 tons of cocaine in Bolivia, if true, reinforces the country’s role as a drug producer and a transit hub that allows shipments to be moved to almost anywhere in South America.

Bolivian authorities destroyed 21.6 tons of cocaine seized on October 15, claiming it was high-purity cocaine disguised as whole soy flour. The shipment was to be sent to the German port of Hamburg. In theory, this would be the largest drug seizure in Bolivia’s recent history, but there are doubts about the amount of drugs seized.

The cocaine was found in a truck filled with 430 bags of what looked like soy flour, each weighing 50kg. in question Jaime Mamani, Bolivia’s deputy minister for social defense and controlled substances. The vehicle left Bolivia via the Tambo Quemado border and attempted to cross into Chile, where authorities seized it.

However, unless each bag contains pure cocaine, it seems unlikely that the seized amount will reach 21.6 tons of drugs. The fact that the goods seen in the seized photographs appear to be mixed with flour indicates that the shipment is not high purity cocaine.

Mamani also said that anti-narcotics officials “conducted an investigative work in which they identified suspicious cargo exported from a grain trading company whose final destination was Germany.” With this information, they were able to perform chemical tests on several sacks that returned positive results for cocaine hydrochloride.

SEE ALSO:InSight Crime’s 2023 Cocaine Seizure Recap

Bolivia has the largest legal coca leaf industry in the world and is the planet’s third largest coca producerAccording to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). In recent years the country has shown steady growth in cocaine production. Coca leaf cultivation now exceeds the legal hectare limit allowed in the country. protected areas and national parksIt is also where cocaine laboratories are located.

InSight Crime Analysis

The latest seizure not only highlights the boom in domestic cocaine production in Bolivia, but also raises questions about the reliability of official figures.

Bolivia’s role has historically been as a transit point for cocaine from Peru and an exporter of coca-based paste. However, findings such as these may indicate an increase in domestic cocaine production. Cocaine seizure data in Bolivia shows steady growth since 2020. According to the Anti-Narcotics Force (Fuerza de Lucha Contra el Narcotráfico – FELCN), approximately 33 tons of cocaine were seized in 2023. As of September 30, 2024, FELCN reported the seizure of 37.7 tonnes.

Adding this latest seizure to the current 2024 volume would represent a close to 78% increase in cocaine seizures in Bolivia. However, although government minister Eduardo del Castillo and Deputy Minister Mamani confirmed the UNODC’s involvement in the destruction of the cocaine shipment via Facebook, no international authority has yet confirmed the seizure data.

SEE ALSO:Drug Trafficking Drives into Bolivia’s Amazon National Parks

Southern Cone trafficking routes expert Damian Zaitch told InSight Crime there is an “iron law” in drug trafficking investigations. “The closer to production, the larger the shipments seized. For years, statistics on seizures have been questionable for many reasons. What is interesting is the significance of this change in seizure statistics in Bolivia; positive or negative? Is it because there is more production or is it because the seizure rate has increased? This question needs to be answered.”

Bolivia is going through a period of social and political turmoil, a context that organized crime groups often exploit to expand their illicit activities. In addition, it is stated that some of the cocaine produced in the country may be derived from legal coca crops, the existence of which has led to tensions with the United States and other countries in the region.

An example of this is the recent seizure in Argentina of almost half a ton of cocaine transported on a Bolivian-registered light aircraft piloted by a colonel of the Bolivian Air Force; This raises questions about the reliability of the Bolivian authorities in the fight against drug trafficking.

While Bolivia defends traditional coca cultivation, the line between legal production and production for drug trafficking is increasingly blurring, which could intensify diplomatic conflicts and external pressures on the country.

Featured Image: Bolivian security forces seized flour bags containing cocaine. Contributors: Facebook page of the Bolivian Deputy Minister of Social Defense and Controlled Substances.