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Portugal seizes tons of cocaine hidden in banana shipments

Nancy Pesapand
Posted at 11:00 AM, Jun 23, 2022
and last updated 2022-06-23 11:00:20-04

LISBON, Portugal — Police in Portugal have found just over 8 metric tons (8.8 short tons) of cocaine concealed inside banana shipments from Colombia.

Police said Thursday the cocaine was hidden in the hold of three cargo ships that docked in Setubal in a port about 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of the Portuguese capital Lisbon.

The ships made regular Atlantic crossings and the cocaine was destined for several European countries.

Large cocaine seizures aren’t uncommon in Portugal or the rest of Europe.

But police said it was one of the largest ever in the country.

The drugs have an estimated local street value of more than 300 million euros ($315 million).