Dutch authorities seize over 4 tons of cocaine in record drug haul

By Selman Aksunger

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AA) - Customs officials made the largest drug bust of 2021 at the Port of Rotterdam as 4,178 kilograms (9,210 pounds) of cocaine was seized in the Netherlands.

According to a statement published by the Public Prosecution Service in Rotterdam on Sunday, customs officials found the drugs in two containers from Paraguay, which were loaded onto another ship in Uruguay.

The cache, which has an estimated value of approximately €313 million ($362 million), was hidden inside bags full of soybeans. The statement said the beans were "destined for a company in Portugal."

The drugs were destroyed, the statement said, adding the Dutch authorities are further investigating the case.

*Writing and contributions by Merve Aydogan in Ankara