The Judiciary Police (PJ) detained 8.13 tons of cocaine in the Port of Setubal, one of the largest drug seizures in Portugal, reports RTP News. The cocaine was hidden in banana containers from Colombia and arrived in Portugal by sea.
The PJ announced on Thursday that this operation named “Bananero” has been in place for the last three weeks. As of now, no arrests have been announced. In collaboration with Europol, an investigation is underway as the drugs were destined for other European countries.
The PJ said that the cocaine that arrived at the Port of Setubal was stored in a large number of boxes of bananas on three ships that connected Colombian ports to European ports on a weekly bases. The shipment was destined to fuel the drug circuits in various European countries and was headed to major cities.
The operation was supported by national and international organizations, including the Portuguese GNR.
Since the beginning of the year, over 12,000 tons of cocaine have been seized. Compared to the number of drugs seized in all of 2021, this represents an increase of 22.7% only in the first semester of 2022.
Back in May of 2022, 250 kilos of cocaine were seized in the Port of Setubal, hidden in boxes of pineapples.