The Police specified that of the total of narcotics seized, 48.5 tons were destined for the foreign market and 3.6 for micro-trafficking, inside the country.

This was made possible by 2,583 operations conducted in various parts of the country, during which 243 firearms, 24,710 rounds and 229,112 US dollars were seized.

More than three tons of cocaine were seized during two of the recent operations in Tulcán and in Guayaquil.

In recent years, the use of Ecuador as a center for the storage and transfer of drugs abroad has increased considerably, according to the authorities.

Along with the seizures of drugs, drug enforcement agents found clandestine landing strips, treatment laboratories for substances subject to control, and locations used for storage.

According to the authorities, the step-up in the fight against drug trafficking is one of the reasons that has caused the rise in insecurity in some cities in Ecuador and violence within the prison system, due to clashes between rival gangs for control of the facilities and the business.

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