Colombian police seized four tons of marijuana, allegedly belonging to the FARC, in the embattled southwestern department of Cauca, local media reported Friday.
Police found 47 drug packets buried in the gravel of a dump truck after stopping the vehicle on a mountain road running between the towns of Caloto and Puerto Tejada.
Colonel Ricardo Alarcon, Cauca’s police chief, said the officers decided to inspect the truck because of recent FARC activity in the area. In the last few weeks Cauca, a longstanding FARC stronghold, has seen an increase in guerrilla activity including an alleged attempt to assassinate President Juan Manuel Santos during his visit to the troubled department.
Alarcon said the seizure of the FARC’s marijuana haul, valued at over $1.1 million, dealt a “crushing blow” to its financial operations, which he said stemmed primarily from the drug trade.