Bolivian police have carried out the 2nd-largest drug bust in the country’s history, seizing more than 7.2 tons of cocaine destined for Belgium with a street value of nearly half a billion USD, the interior minister said, writes Reuters.

The operation was carried out in Bolivia"s highland region of Pisiga, on the border with Chile. The drugs were hidden in two trucks transporting scrap iron for export to Europe through Chilean ports on the Pacific.

“If we take into account the price of these controlled substances in the country of destination, we’re talking about an impact on drug trafficking of more than USD 451 million”, - said Interior Minister Eduardo del Castillo. He reported that the seller of the drugs had fled the country to the US, which he blamed on information being leaked from the prosecutor’s office to the media.

In January, Bolivian police carried out the country’s biggest anti-drug operation by seizing more than 8 tons of cocaine, also on the border with Chile.