Eighty plastic packages containing a narcotic substance (cocaine) with a total gross weight of ninety-one kilograms and six grams (91,006 grams) were found and seized inside a container of bananas in Greece.
The estimated value of the seized cocaine is approximately 4 million euros, in accordance with the Hellenic Coast Guard.
The container arrived at the port of Piraeus from Ecuador on a Liberian-flagged ship on the evening of Monday, November 13th, 2023. It was carrying a legal cargo of bananas.
The seizure of the narcotics took place at noon on Tuesday, November 14th, 2023.
During the operation, a geo-location device (GPS tracker) was also confiscated.
The operation, which was conducted by a joint team consisting of executives from several authorities in Greece, was part of inter-agency cooperation to combat drug trafficking.
Following the initial seizure, further investigations were conducted at the port of Thessaloniki from November 19th to November 22nd, 2023.
During this investigation, sixteen additional containers connected to the original one examined, with negative results.
K-9 teams and self-propelled X-Ray vehicles of the authorities involved, as well as the Central Port Authority of Kavala, participated in these multi-day investigations.
The Central Port Authority of Piraeus is currently conducting a preliminary investigation, and a sample of the seized narcotic substance has been taken by a team from the State General Chemistry for examination.
