Authorities in the Dominican Republic have seized 9,500kg of cocaine, the largest haul ever recorded in the country. The shipment, hidden in banana containers bound for Europe, is estimated to be worth $250 million. At least 10 people linked to the port are under investigation.
The cocaine was intercepted at a port in Santo Domingo and initially believed to have originated from Guatemala. Investigations revealed that the bananas were part of a larger scheme involving unknown individuals who attempted to transfer the drugs to another container bound for Belgium.
This massive seizure exceeds the previous record set in 2006 by more than three times. The Caribbean is resurfacing as a major drug trafficking route, with cocaine use on the rise in western European countries such as the UK, Belgium, France, and Spain. According to UN data, Europe accounted for 21% of global cocaine users in 2020.
The increasing use of cocaine has severe health consequences, including a record high number of fatalities involving the drug in England and Wales. Fatalities have risen by 30% over the past year, highlighting the growing threat of cocaine trafficking.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn9gg220xzjo