A record batch of drugs was seized in the Dominican Republic — 9.5 tons of cocaine hidden in a shipment of bananas that arrived at the port of Santo Domingo. About this informs Reuters.
The National Drug Enforcement Administration found 320 bags containing approximately 9,528 kilograms of cocaine, valued at $250 million.
“Initial investigations show that the container with bananas came from Guatemala. Many unknowns tried to transfer the drugs to another container that was supposed to be sent on a ship to Belgium”, – said Carlos Danvers, head of communications for the National Drug Enforcement Administration.
Organized crime think tank InSight Crime warned that this year’s record seizures signaled the re-emergence of the Caribbean as a key route for drug smuggling from Colombia to Europe.
“As demand grows, traffickers are stepping up efforts to meet it, turning to the Caribbean as an ideal conduit for smuggling cocaine into Europe“, – says InSight Crime.
