German investigators have seized 35. 5 tons of cocaine in what the government says is the seizure of a Class A drug ever made in Europe.
Prosecutors in the western city of Dusseldorf said they seized the cocaine, which they valued at 2. 6 billion euros (2. 19 billion pounds), last year after receiving a tip from Colombian authorities.
A total of 25 tons of cocaine were discovered in the northern port of Hamburg as part of Operation Plexus, 8 in the Dutch port of Rotterdam and just 3 in Colombia. The drugs were hidden among vegetables and fruits, prosecutors said.
In recent weeks, seven other people between the ages of 30 and 54 have been arrested, including German, Azerbaijani, Bulgarian, Moroccan, Turkish and Ukrainian citizens.
Their identities have been disclosed, in accordance with the German law on the protection of privacy.
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They are accused of loading gigantic quantities of cocaine from Latin America to Europe between April and September 2023. The defendants are said to have as yet unknown accomplices in Turkey.
Dr. Benjamin Limbach, Minister of Justice of North Rhine-Westphalia, congratulated the government for “staging a coup here,” praising the teamwork that resulted in “the discovery of cocaine on European soil that almost burns. “
And he added: “This is a blow to foreign organized crime. It’s an exact punch to the jaw that will hurt the drug lords. “
Prosecutor Julius Sterzel said the suspects allegedly transported the cocaine in boxes “and hid it among boxes of fruit and legal goods. “
He said assets were also seized, including five gold bars valued at around €23,000 (£19,430), a Porsche 911 Turbo valued at around €250,000 (£211,221) and luxury items.