Dominican Republic authorities say cocaine discovered in the country's largest-ever seizure was destined for Europe.
Hidden in a shipment of bananas, authorities discovered 9,500 kg of drugs at a port in the capital, Santo Domingo.
The cocaine was hidden in 320 bags with an estimated street value of $250 million (£196 million).
At least 10 people linked to the port are under investigation, with initial investigations showing the bananas had arrived from Guatemala, according to the National Drug Control Directorate.
“Many unknown people tried to transfer the drugs to another container that would be shipped by boat to Belgium,” said communications manager Carlos Denvers.
The shipment far exceeds the 2,580 kg seized by Dominican authorities in the same port in 2006.
Monitoring agencies have reported that the Caribbean is re-emerging as a major drug trafficking route from Colombia to Europe.
A report last year found that cocaine use is increasing in several Western European countries, including the United Kingdom, Belgium, France and Spain.
Europe accounted for 21% of global cocaine users in 2020, study finds United Nations report.
Evidence suggests that drug use brings disastrous consequences on healthwith recent data showing drug poisoning deaths in England and Wales have reached the highest level in 30 years, fueled by a 30% increase in cocaine-related deaths.
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