Spanish police made discovery in container bound for the Port of Algeciras
Police and customs officers in Spain have intercepted more than 13 tonnes of cocaine hidden in a shipment of Ecuadorean bananas.
The discovery – the second biggest ever recorded in Europe – was made in a container of bananas from Guayaquíl bound for the port of Algeciras. The container was searched on its arrival on 14 October following the discovery of a discrepancy in its stated cargo and content.
“The container in question housed a screen of boxes that actually contained bananas, which were used to hide the drugs,” Spain’s national police said. “Behind that screen was a large quantity of identical boxes that contained bricks of cocaine that had been packed to fit the boxes exactly.”
A number of properties in Alicante and Madrid were subsequently searched by police, resulting in the arrest of a partner in the company due to receive the shipment.
The seizure exceeds the previous record interception of a 9.4-tonne shipment in Spain last year, also in the port of Algeciras.
Police said the latest haul was destined for distribution throughout Europe.
