Colombia Make Largest Drug Seizure in History

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos (left), accompanied by the national police chief Gen. Jorge Nieto at a press conference in Bogota (17/2). (Reuters / John Vizcaino)

Colombian police on Sunday (15/5) say they have seized eight tons of cocaine from the most active criminal organizations in the country, clan Usuga.

In a statement, police said they found the drugs were hidden in a banana plantation near the border with Panama, in the region of Uraba, Colombia.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said via Twitter, "the largest drug confiscation in history." The police said they arrested three people in the operation, but the other three escaped.

Defense Minister Luis Carlos Villegas said nearly 1.5 tons of cocaine that had been packaged and "ready for the market."

Every year, police said Usuga clan smuggle tons of cocaine into the US. US authorities had offered a reward of US $ 5 million for the arrest of the gang leader.

According to the UN, Colombia is a producer of coca crops in the world, and produces 442 tons of cocaine from the plant each year.