Story By: William McGee, Sub-Editor: Joana Mihajlovska, Agency: Newsflash
A staggering 1,600 kilograms of drugs valued at USD 2 billion have been found in an abandoned pickup truck in the middle of the Chilean desert.
Chilean police recovered 60 sacks containing bricks of cannabis and cocaine from the vehicle, which was spotted in a part of the Atacama desert at around 4 am on 2nd December.
The unoccupied vehicle had been abandoned in the 105,000 square kilometre (41,000 square mile) desert close to the city of Pozo Almonte, on the road towards the village of Huatacondo.
The pickup truck’s occupants are believed to have fled after receiving a tip-off that police were patrolling the road.
The police recovered 60 sacks from the Ford F-150, which were found to contain illegal drugs.
In total, 1,636 kilograms (3,607 pounds) of cannabis and 30.667 kilograms (67.609 pounds) of cocaine base paste were seized from the sacks.
Bizarrely, the drug bricks had been marked with superhero symbols, high-end car logos, as well as the logo of a well-known football player.
Police believe the markings were made to help the gangs that distribute the substances to identify the criminal organisations to which the drugs are delivered, later to be sold.
The substances seized are believed to total some USD 2 billion (GBP 1.49 billion) in value.
The seized contents were destroyed by the Chilean authorities on 2nd December.
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