Cocaine hidden inside fake bananas, over 250 kg of drugs seized in Gioia Tauro

Published on: 05/08/2024 – 1.52pm

GIOIA TAURO The Financiers of the Provincial Command of Reggio Calabria, following complex investigations directed and coordinated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Reggio Calabria, they carried out a seizure order of over 250 kg of cocaine, found inside a container in the Port of Gioia Tauro. Specifically, the soldiers of the Guardia di Finanza, on the afternoon of last Thursday 2 May, found the huge narcotic substance inside a container, coming from Ecuador, where they found cartons that should have contained exotic fruit, specifically a load of bananas, however they found out that the fruit was “fake”.

Counterfeit bananas instead of real ones

In fact, the Financiers ascertained that some counterfeit bananas instead of the real ones, so much so that to check the originality of the fruit it was necessary to resort to a manual assessment, with the operators breaking the bananas with a special tool and finding the narcotic substance inside them which, in this circumstance, had been attempted pass the controls in a completely ingenious way. This is yet another drug discovery at the Port of Gioia Tauro which concerned 2024 and which is part of a constant activity to combat organized crime. Investigators have currently sent the substance found to laboratories to ascertain the quality and active ingredient of the drug. The drugs found, weighing over 250 kg, could have brought revenues of several tens of millions of euros once placed on the market. Investigations are active to trace those responsible and bring drug traffickers to justice. ([email protected])

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