Belgian Police and Customs officers were in for a treasure trove last week, when they discovered about 500kg of cocaine stashed in containers carrying printing paper in the port of Ghent.
Teaming up with the Belgian and Dutch Customs, as well as the Shipping Police, the Federal Judicial Police in East Flanders ran a thorough inspection of a fruit juice boat from Santos, Brazil. The boat had reportedly docked on 21 September.
"12 containers with printing paper were unloaded and fully searched," stated the police.
When the search concluded, around 50 boxes, each containing ten packages of cocaine, were seized from the containers. The total weight of the seized contraband pegged at an estimated 500 kilograms, with a street value of over €25 million (US$29 million).
The East Flanders Public Prosecutor’s Office has ordered the Federal Judicial Police of East Flanders to investigate the incident, and uncover the organisation behind it.
Correspondent
Ankur Kundu
