BANANA DRAMA: Police Seize Cocaine Worth GBP 82m From Banana Boats

Astonished Dutch customs officials discovered 1.3 tonnes of cocaine worth a whopping GBP 82 million hidden in containers stuffed with bananas.

Picture shows the cocaine seized, undated. Customs found a total of 1279 kilogrames of cocaine in two containers of bananas with from Ecuador in Vlissingen, Netherlands. (Openbaar Ministerie/Newsflash)

The drugs had been shipped from Ecuador to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in the Netherlands.

The bananas were destined for a local company that Dutch authorities later found had nothing to do with drug trafficking.

The haul of cocaine has since been destroyed.

Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges are the main ports of entry in Europe for shipments of cocaine from Latin America.

The drugs that arrive there are said to be mainly destined for gangs in the Netherlands.

In a statement obtained by Newsflash, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service said: “During a check-in Vlissingen on Wednesday, Customs found two containers with a total of 1,279 kilos of cocaine.

“Both containers came from Ecuador and were transported to Vlissingen via the Port of Antwerp. The cargo of both containers consisted of bananas destined for a company in Vlissingen. 150-kilo packages were found in the first container. In the second container, 38 bales with a total of 1129 packages were found. The street value of the parties is more than 95 million euros.

“The HARC team, a partnership between the Seaport Police, Customs, FIOD [Fiscal Information and Investigation Service] and the Public Prosecution Service, is investigating the case further. The company in Vlissingen is not involved in cocaine smuggling. The narcotics have since been destroyed.”