Overview
- Anti-drug agents intercepted Basiliana Huaraca Ramírez, 72, at Jorge Chávez International Airport as she prepared to board a flight to Paris after being flagged on security cameras.
- Field testing during a baggage inspection returned positive for cocaine, with an official weight of 8.805 kilograms.
- Police report the drug was concealed by blending it with maca, quinoa and kiwicha in an effort to evade canines, scanners and initial chemical checks.
- Investigators say criminal groups are increasingly recruiting elderly or otherwise low-profile couriers, possibly via social media such as TikTok.
- Officials cite similar seizures involving maca and chocolates in other cases and warn that participants face roughly 16–18 years in prison, with this load valued near €560,000 in Europe.