The problems at the facility in the Colombian capital led to a failure to comply with WADA’s External Quality Assessment Scheme, WADA added in a statement.

The suspension, which took effect from yesterday, prohibits the Bogota Laboratory from carrying out any anti-doping activities including all analysis of urine and blood samples.

According to WADA, the move will allow the facility to "provide an opportunity for the Laboratory to make concrete improvements to its operations and ensure future compliance".

As a result of the suspension, samples are now required to be transported securely to another WADA-accredited laboratory.

The Bogota Laboratory is able to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport within 21 days of receipt of notice.

The facility can apply for re-accreditation before the end of the six-month period should their improvements satisfy WADA's Disciplinary Committee.

WADA can, however, extend the suspension should they fail to meet the requirements.

"During the period of suspension, the Bogota Laboratory shall address all non-conformities identified by the Laboratory Expert Group or WADA in any request for corrective action or otherwise, as well as any additional non-conformities identified through any WADA site visit during the suspension period," WADA said in a statement.

The facility in Bogota becomes the seventh WADA laboratory to have its accreditation suspended.

Mexico City was also suspended for a period of up to six months in November, which came after WADA had sparked controversy by announcing the temporary ban on the Doha Laboratory on the eve of the Association of National Olympic Committees General Assembly in the Qatari capital.

The accreditation of laboratories in Almaty, Bloemfontein, Lisbon and Madrid are also suspended.

The laboratory in Moscow was initially suspended on November 10 in 2015 following the WADA Independent Commission reports which revealed evidence of widespread state-supported doping in Russian athletics.

Cover-ups and the destruction of samples were also revealed, and suspending the laboratory, which is at the centre of the scandal, was a key recommendation.

Its accreditation was completely revoked but WADA President Sir Craig Reedie then exclusively revealed to insidethegames in May that it had been partly re-accredited to enable it to resume analysis of blood samples.