BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian police apprehended a 40-year-old man attempting to smuggle several bags of cocaine concealed beneath a meticulously attached toupee.
Police said the suspect was detained at Cartagena’s airport on Monday as he ready to board a flight to Amsterdam.
A scanner revealed the hidden cargo: 220 grams of cocaine packaged in small baggage, strategically positioned below what authorities described as a “narco wig.”
Police estimate the road worth of the medicine at roughly 10,000 euros in European markets.
A police video launched on Monday captured the second an officer, carrying blue gloves, rigorously eliminated the suspect’s wig with scissors, revealing roughly a dozen packets of cocaine. Additional police statements confirmed the suspect’s prior prison report, which included two earlier drug trafficking convictions.
“Organized crime groups are exploiting young people, falsely suggesting they can easily bypass our security measures,” mentioned Cartagena Police Commander Gen. Gelver Yesid Peña. “However, this case demonstrates that is not true.”
Cocaine manufacturing in Colombia has been rising since 2013, in line with the United Nations Workplace on Drug and Crime.
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A report revealed in October by the worldwide group discovered that the cultivation of coca bushes elevated by 10 p.c in Colombia in 2023, whereas potential cocaine manufacturing elevated 53% from the earlier yr.
Whereas a 2016 peace settlement with the FARC rebels aimed to curb coca cultivation in rural areas, smaller armed teams have crammed the ability vacuum, actively selling the profitable cocaine commerce.
