Portugal: About 3.5 tons of cocaine were seized inside a banana shipment

The Portuguese authorities seized about 3.5 tons of cocaine hidden in a shipment of bananas imported from Latin America, the judicial police announced on Monday.

Cocaine hidden in banana boxes

Judicial Police Investigation Coordinator Vitor Anañas explained to Portuguese media that the drugs were seized during a police operation “in the port of Setubal,” about forty kilometers south of the capital, Lisbon.
The cocaine was hidden in banana boxes stored on pallets on a cargo ship that provides regular transportation of the fruit between Latin America and the European continent.

Drug detection

“Given the large number of banana pallets transported on board the ship, the detection of drugs was only possible thanks to the long and meticulous work carried out by police investigators,” a judicial police statement said.
Information collected by the Portuguese police showed that the drugs were destined for several European countries.
This operation was carried out in cooperation with the UK National Crime Agency.
The Portuguese police chief explained to CNN Portuguese that the police have not yet arrested anyone in the case, but the investigation is continuing “to search for those responsible” and “hand them over to justice.”