Limon: The New Gateway Port For Cocaine Leaving Costa Rica

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Limon has long had a reputation as a remote Costa Rican port handling exports of of pineapples, bananas, sugar, coffee, and … cocaine.
While the nearby Port of Moin has undergone a complete expansion and renovation recently, including brand new scanning technology, Limon has been left behind — but not by astute drug smugglers.
One of the largest drug busts ever in Europe happened last October, when six tons of cocaine were found hidden among bananas, bananas that set sail for Europe from Limon, Costa Rica. The outfit behind this shipment had greased the wheels by sending 70 containers of fruit from Costa Rica, thereby creating the impression that they were a legitimate fruit export company.

Then in June, 2018, 300 kilograms of cocaine were found tucked in a shipping container’s vent ducts. Soon, 133 kilograms of cocaine were found hidden in pineapples bound for Europe. That same month, 400 kilograms of cocaine in suitcases were discovered in a ship’s bow. All these ships were flying under different country’s flags. All of them departed from Limon on the Caribbean coast.
According to Insight Crime, “As Costa Rica’s role in the transshipment of drugs has increased, traffickers have exploited Limon’s remote and poorly managed port.” Cocaine cargo bound for Europe has spiked in recent years. Why is that?
European demand for drugs in general, and cocaine in particular, has grown tremendously in recent years. Street prices are higher in Europe than in the United States. Colombian drug traffickers are being squeezed out by Mexican cartels, and are resorting to the European pipeline for cocaine sales.
The scanning equipment at the Moin Port has not worked properly since 2016, meaning that shipping containers must be opened and inspected for drugs manually. It’s much easier to just ship through Limon. Yesterday, just off the coast of Costa Rica, the Coast Guard captured a vessel containing 600 kilos of cocaine, and 28 packets of marijuana. Three Colombians were arrested. The US Coast Guard and Navy assisted Costa Rica authorities.
Spokesmen from the Costa Rican Coast Guard report that there has been a significant increase in drug trafficking leaving Costa Rica, much of it sailing out of Limon.
 

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