A record 800kg of cocaine, having a street value of €108.2 million, has been found hidden in a container at Malta Freeport, the Customs Department said on Thursday.  

The discovery was made during scanning of a 40-foot reefer container following intelligence.

The operation, in which several containers were screened, started on Wednesday and continued on Thursday.

The shipment was en-route to Mersin, in Turkey from Turbo, in Colombia in a refrigerated cargo of 1,200 boxes of bananas. Customs and police officers seized 800 packets of a white substance hidden in 26 boxes. They were found to be high-purity cocaine. 

Last year, in a similar bust, the Customs Department seized 740 packets, totalling 740kg of cocaine worth €100 million, also hidden in boxes of bananas.

Customs officers made 13 cocaine shipment discoveries in 2019 recording a total of 750kg. That rose is 2020 to 612kg (in one seizure) and, in 2021 to 740kg (in one seizure) and in 2022 to 800kg (in one seizure) .

Magistrate Marsianne Farrugia is leading the inquiry. The police are investigating.

 

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