Colombian police found 19 million U.S. dollars in cash under the floorboards of a house in the country's southern city of Cali, local radio Caracol reported on Saturday.

The cash, wrapped in plastic bags, possibly belonged to Juan Carlos Ramirez, a senior figure in the Norte del Valle Cartel, the country's biggest and most powerful drug-trafficking organization, said local police officer Oscar Naranjo.

Naranjo said that in the past three days the police have conducted more than 43 raids in this city, Colombia's third largest, some 300 km southwest of the capital.

Ramirez was also believed to be the owner of cash and gold worth 60.4 million U.S. dollars seized in recent anti-drug operations.

The Norte del Valle Cartel is believed to be to blame for as much as 30 percent of over 500 metric tons of cocaine smuggled from Colombia to the United States every year.

Ramirez is on the U.S. list for most-wanted drug smugglers.

Source: Xinhua