Israel-Bound Cocaine Snared in Paraguay

Police in Paraguay seized cocaine with a $500 million street value destined for Israel. A record 2.3 tons of cocaine hidden in charcoal bound for Israel was stopped in what Paraguayan authorities are calling the county’s largest-ever drug seizure. The illegal drug was found at Terport, a private port on the Paraguay River in the city of Villeta, 50 kilometers south of the country’s capital, Asunción. Police found the narcotics in one of six containers bound for Israel, leading them to examine the remaining five containers. They reported that this might lead to an increase in the total amount of cocaine seized. The export of charcoal from South America is a growing industry and is becoming more popular as a cover for drug shipments. The shipment was to have intermediate stops in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Antwerp, Belgium before reaching Israel. Authorities detained two people. Bolivia, bordering on Paraguay and one of the world’s largest cocaine producers, is thought to be the origin of the illegal drugs, according to Paraguayan counter-narcotics officials.