269 kg cocaine seized in Paraguay

Authorities in Paraguay have seized 269 kg of cocaine in a wooden container, which was ready for shipment to Switzerland.

The contraband was discovered Thursday inside the container at Puerto Fenix, an air terminal and shipping port on the Paraguay river, reported Xinhua citing Francisco de Vargas, the National Anti-Narcotics Secretariat director.

The cocaine may have been flown in from Bolivia or Colombia, Vargas said, admitting that Paraguay has "serious failures" in monitoring air traffic due to faulty radar equipment.

The authorities, however, seized two sizable shipments of cocaine at Puerto Fenix before, including a 300-kg cache in February and an 875-kg cargo in May 2011, the official added.

Located on the Rio Paraguay in South America, Paraguay is a large landlocked country. It is bordered to the south and southwest by Argentina, to the east and northeast by Brazil and to the northwest by Bolivia.