Authorities in the Dominican Republic have intercepted a substantial cocaine shipment concealed within a banana consignment destined for Europe, marking the country's largest seizure to date. The operation carried out at a port in Santo Domingo, resulted in the discovery of 9,500kg of cocaine distributed across 320 bags, with an estimated street value of $250 million. The National Drug Control Directorate has initiated investigations into at least 10 individuals connected to the port, following leads that the bananas containing the narcotics originated from Guatemala.
Carlos Denvers, a communications official, disclosed that attempts were made by unidentified parties to transfer the narcotics to an alternative container scheduled to ship to Belgium. This seizure surpasses the previous record of 2,580kg, also at the same port in 2006. Recent reports highlight the resurgence of the Caribbean as a critical corridor for drug trafficking from Colombia to Europe, with a notable increase in cocaine consumption across several Western European nations, including the UK, Belgium, France, and Spain. A United Nations report from 2020 identified Europe as comprising 21% of global cocaine users. Additionally, the rising use of cocaine is linked to severe health implications, with England and Wales experiencing the highest number of drug-poisoning deaths in three decades, a surge attributed to a 30% increase in cocaine-related fatalities.
Source: BBC