Peruvian police confiscate 1.5 tons of cocaine

A total of 1,593 kilograms of cocaine and 800 grams of cocaine alkaloid, which worth more than 4 million U.S. dollars, were confiscated in the southern region of Arequipa, Peru's National Police (PNP) said on Monday.Five men were arrested in the operations, including three Bolivians and two Peruvians. According to PNP's report, 274 kilograms of cocaine and 100 grams of alkaloid were found in a tanker during the first operation on Sunday. The Bolivian driver and two of his countrymen in his company, were arrested. The tanker was traveling in the city of Camana in Arequipa, when anti-drug officers intercepted it. Later, in another operation, 1,319 kilograms cocaine and 700 grams of alkaloid were found inside a home outside Camana. Two Peruvians were arrested while two guns and two vehicles were seized. The drug was believed to have come from southern Peruvian locations of Valle de los Rios, Apurimac and Ene and was to be sent to the Bolivian city of Santa Cruz, where it would be exported to Europe, said the National Police. One kilogram of cocaine could be sold at between 40,000 and 60, 000 dollars in the European black market.