Record seizure of 23 tonnes of cocaine in Germany and Belgium
In Hamburg, northern Germany, 17 tonnes of cocaine were found in more than 1,700 cans of plaster in a container from Paraguay.
via REUTERS - Zollfahndungsamt Hamburg
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It is a record drug seizure for Europe: German and Belgian customs seized more than 20 tonnes of cocaine in two operations during the month.
The drugs were intended for resale in the Netherlands.
This is a huge volume that would represent around 600 million euros on resale.
This seizure is among the “five most important in the world”.
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Never before has such a quantity of cocaine been seized at one time in Europe: 23 tonnes of cocaine were discovered in two shipments.
The biggest catch was made in the German port of Hamburg.
Sixteen tonnes were found in five containers from Paraguay.
The drugs were hidden in more than 1,700 cans, covered by containers containing putty.
The second seizure of 7 tonnes was found in the Belgian port of Antwerp, coming from Panama.
This time, the cocaine was concealed in a container carrying wood.
The two cargoes were to be sent to the same destination in the Netherlands, according to Dutch police.
A 28-year-old man, manager of an import company in Rotterdam, was arrested on Wednesday in the Netherlands.
He had registered as the recipient of both cargoes.
For the moment, the investigation is continuing in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium to allow other possible arrests.
Colombia,
Brazil
and Ecuador are often in the top three sending countries for cocaine.
While in Europe, the biggest entry points for drugs are Belgium, Spain and the
Netherlands
.
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