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Lisbon, Portugal (AP) —Portuguese police said Thursday that they found cocaine hidden in banana shipments from Colombia at just over 8 meters (8.8 short tons). rice field.
Cocaine was hidden in the hold of three cargo ships moored in Setubal, a port about 50 km (30 miles) south of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, police said.
According to police, ships regularly crossed the Atlantic Ocean and cocaine was directed to several European countries.
The seizures have occurred in the last few weeks, police said, but the statement did not give a specific date.
Massive cocaine attacks are not uncommon in Portugal and other Europe, but police said it was one of the largest ever in the country. .. The drug has an estimated local street value of over € 300 million ($ 315 million).
The statement states that Europe is currently the largest global market for cocaine.
So far this year, Portuguese police have captured just over 12 metric tons of cocaine. This is an increase of almost 23% of the total last year.
Europol, the European Union police agency, and other European police have cooperated in this operation.
Meanwhile, police in northern Portugal have worked with neighboring Spanish Guardia Civil to dismantle a circle of criminals allegedly building powerful speedboats for Spanish gangsters. Said.
Boats are usually used to carry hashish medicine from Morocco to Spain and Portugal. Spain banned boats four years ago to crack down on smuggling.
Portuguese police seized 21 speedboats at various stages of construction, and Spanish police arrested 72 people in Spain, the statement said.
Also on Thursday, police in southern Spain said they had dismantled the drug smuggling ring and seized a 1.2-meter ton (1.3 short ton) hashish hidden in a factory warehouse.
