More than 5.000 Kilos of Cocaine Cross Costa Rica, Police Estimate
In the past two week, police have been successfull in intercepting eight shipments of illegal drugs at various locations around the country. Authorities admit that this is a small dent in the amount of drugs that passes through Costa Rica by land.

According to calculations by the authorities, more than 5.000 kilos of cocaine crosses Costa Rica by way of land with destination north, probably to the United States. In the last eight interception, slightly over 10% of that calculation - 592 kilos - has been confiscated.

Rogelio Ramos, Minister of Seguridad Publica - the head of the police force - says that the major shipments are by sea. The land shipments are smaller in size as they represent a higher risk of detection and confiscation.

The authorities say that the Caribbean sea is the most vulnerable and patrol of the area has been stepped up. In the past, only 30% of the sea shipments were by way of the Caribbean sea, the rest being transported by way of the Pacific.

It is no secret that drug traffickers have deep rooted ties in Costa Rica. Different forms of illegal transport have been detected and drug traffickers are getting more and more ingenious every day to avoid detection, confiscation of the goods and arrest of those transporting the illegal drugs.

Statistics show that drug trafficking is not decreasing and nor will it be stopped. Police aren't giving up either and with time they run more anti-drug operations and use more sophisticated detection and intelligence methods.

This year to date more than 109 operations were placed in action with the arrest of 110 individuals and more than 3.000 tonnes of cocaine with a street value of more than us$400 million dollars confiscated.