Dutch authorities seize over 4,000 kilos of cocaine in containers shipped from Paraguay

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The report states that a record 4,200 kilos of cocaine were hidden in two containers loaded with sacks of soybeans, shipped from Paraguay and transshipped to another vessel in Uruguay.

The investigation indicates that Portugal was the drug’s final destination and an initial estimate of its value reached €313 (US$363) million.

The Dutch Police and the Prosecutor’s Office are still working on the case, but so far no arrests have been made. They further reported that the drugs have been destroyed.

OTHER SEIZURES WITH INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS

In October last year, one of the largest drug seizures was made in Paraguay, bound for Israel. National Police Anti-Narcotics Department and Sensitive Intelligence Unit (SIU) agents detected 2,906 kg of cocaine in 11 containers, among sacks of charcoal.

Later, on February 24, 16 tons of drugs were intercepted in the port of Hamburg, Germany, in 5 containers allegedly carrying bleach, which were shipped from Paraguay.

In a parallel operation, another 7 tons of cocaine were detected in Belgium. In the same country two months later, a leather cargo containing 11 tons of cocaine was detected in the port of Antwerp, having departed in February from the port of Villeta with a stop-over in Argentina.

The Prosecutor’s Office requested reports from the National Anti-Drug Secretariat to start investigating the case.