MONDAY, 26 JUNE 2023 - 13:45
Massive €269 million cocaine shipment found in Rotterdam
Customs officials found nearly 3,600 kilograms of cocaine during an inspection at the Port of Rotterdam. The drugs held a street value of 269 million euros, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) said on Monday. Two other batches of drugs weighing a total of 2,000 kilograms were also found in an operation involving the Dutch Navy in the Caribbean.

It is the largest cocaine find at the Rotterdam port this year. No arrests were announced.

The cocaine was hidden in a shipment of bananas that likely originated in Ecuador, the OM said. Authorities found the cocaine and counted it between Sunday night and early the following morning.

The final tally stood at 3,587 one-kilogram bricks.

“This container of bananas was destined for a company in the Province of Zeeland,” the OM said. However, there was no evidence suggesting that the company was involved in the smuggling operation.

The initial investigation was carried out by the Hit-and-Run Cargo Team, a specialized intervention team made up of port police, Customs officials, FIOD financial crime investigators, and the Rotterdam division of the Public Prosecution Service.