Netherlands
3600 kilos of cocaine found in the port of Vlissingen
Investigators are observing that cocaine is increasingly being smuggled into Europe via smaller ports. Presumably to avoid stricter controls in larger ports. Photo
© Virginia Mayo/AP/dpa
Sales value: more than a quarter of a billion euros. Drug investigators in the Netherlands can claim a major success.
Dutch investigators have made a search in the port of Around 3,600 kilograms of cocaine were discovered in Vlissingen. The drugs had a street value of around 270 million euros, the public prosecutor’s office said. According to the information, it was the largest amount of cocaine seized this year in the port in the southwest of the country.
The drugs were discovered during a routine check. The cocaine was hidden between a shipment of bananas from Ecuador bound for Germany. A 27-year-old suspect was arrested.
In May, almost 500 kilograms of cocaine with a sales value of around 37 million euros were found in the port. This cargo was also reportedly hidden in a shipment of bananas from Ecuador.
Since last year, investigators have observed that more cocaine is being smuggled into Europe via smaller ports such as Vlissingen. One reason could be the stricter controls and security measures at the port of Rotterdam, the largest port in Europe.