Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Thursday, Dec 07, 2023

Italian police dogs find 2,700kg of cocaine hidden in banana crates

Italian police dogs find 2,700kg of cocaine hidden in banana crates

The seized cocaine was of the finest quality, according to Italian police, and would have earned drug traffickers more than €800 million in street sales in Armenia, where it was destined.

Thanks to the help of a highly-skilled drug sniffer dog and specialised scanners, police in southern Italy have seized 2,700 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a most unlikely place -- a banana shipment from Guayaquil, Ecuador.

According to police, the drug seized on Tuesday was hidden in about 70,000 kilograms of boxed bananas stashed in two containers travelling on a cargo ship which had stopped in the port of Gioia Tauro, in the southern region of Calabria.

Gioia Tauro, the "toe" of the boot-shaped Italian peninsula, is considered a stronghold of the 'Ndrangheta -- a mafia-style criminal organisation that has developed uniquely in the region of Calabria and which, in recent years, has become a major player in the international drug-trafficking trade.

The bananas and their illegal travel companion were on their way to Batumi, in Georgia, before reaching their final destination in Armenia, according to authorities.

Joel the sniffer dog helped police officers in seizing the almost 3 tonnes of cocaine.


But before the shipment could be sent off to the landlocked country in the Caucasus, police managed to infiltrate the haul and discover the cocaine stashed in the banana crates. Police told Italian state radio that documents and a background check indicated the shippers of the bananas weren't in the business of moving that much fruit.

A sniffer dog called Joel played a key role in the seizure, uncovering packets of cocaine hidden in boxes stacked inside the containers.

Italian police estimated that the cocaine seized was of the finest quality and could have brought traffickers a gain of over more than 800 million euros in street sales in Armenia.

Just days before the seizure of cocaine in the banana boxes on Tuesday, customs police said that at the same port, authorities found some 600 kilograms of cocaine in six container trucks which was also carrying fruit from Ecuador. Those shipments had been destined for Croatia, Greece and Georgia.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
Close
0:00
0:00
Henry Kissinger, the influential American diplomat, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and former Secretary of State, passed away at 100 at his Connecticut home.
Here is a video showing the moment of the release of the captives by the terrorist organization Hamas and their transfer to the Red Cross on their way back to the State of Israel.
Here is a video showing the moment of the release of the captives by the terrorist organization Hamas and their transfer to the Red Cross on their way back to the State of Israel.
Bill Gates Envisions a Possible 3-Day Work Week with AI
Abu Dhabi-Backed Fund Poised to Assume Control of UK's Telegraph Media Group
Biden Advocates for Palestinian Authority to Govern Gaza and West Bank
Apple and Disney Halt Ads on X Following Elon Musk's Antisemitic Post, US Reacts
The UK’s Supreme Court, in a move that surprised no one who respects international law and human rights, has just delivered a landmark ruling against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s immigration strategy.
Top German journalist received €600,000 from Putin ally, leak reveals
A Dramatic Video from Gaza, Provided by IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari, Offers Undeniable Evidence of Hamas Establishing Terror Operation Bases Near Schools, Above Hospitals, and Inside Civilian Areas.
Moody's Downgrades U.S. Credit Outlook to Negative Amid Fiscal Concerns
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Steve Jobs' Son Launches Venture Capital Firm With $200 Million For Cancer Treatments
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
Google reshuffles Assistant unit, lays off some staffers, to 'supercharge' products with A.I.
End of Viagra? FDA approved a gel against erectile dysfunction
UK sanctions Russians judges over dual British national Kara-Murza's trial
US restricts visa-free travel for Hungarian passport holders because of security concerns
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Political leader from South Africa, Julius Malema, led violent racist chants at a massive rally on Saturday
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
'I am not your servant': IndiGo crew member, passenger get into row over airline meal
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Spanish Citizenship Granted to Iranian chess player who removed hijab
US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell freezes up, leaves press conference
Speaker McCarthy says the United States House of Representatives is getting ready to impeach Joe Biden.
San Francisco car crash
This camera man is a genius
3D ad in front of Burj Khalifa
Next level gaming
BMW driver…
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Swedish Embassy in Baghdad Engulfed in Flames Amidst a Firestorm of Protests
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Today, we're unveiling the splendor of one of Saudi Arabia's most exclusive and stunning retreats – the Jeddah Yacht Club
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
×