Portuguese police seize 4.5 tons of cocaine hidden in banana shipment

Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - Portuguese police announced Tuesday the seizure of 4.2 metric tons (4.5 US tons) of cocaine concealed within a banana shipment, estimated to be worth more than $100 million.

It marks one of the country's largest drug busts in recent years. Although no arrests have been made, Police Coordinator Vitor Ananias said the seizure signifies a "severe financial blow" to the criminal organization involved.

Ananias said the suspected gang is "well known to authorities."

The large shipment of pure cocaine was discovered hidden among six pallets of bananas that had arrived at the Setubal port from Colombia.

The seizure resulted from "intense information gathering" by Portuguese police in collaboration with international partners.

Portugal’s biggest drug bust this year comes on the heels of Italian authorities seizing more than $400 million worth of cocaine last week, one of the country's biggest seizures in decades.

In Spain, police also dismantled the largest cocaine lab in Europe last month after working alongside authorities from Portugal and Colombia.