Dutch authorities nabbed a cocaine stash valued at around $662 million and weighing in at over 17,600 pounds, The Associated Press reported Thursday, citing the Rotterdam Public Prosecution Service.
The largest cocaine seizure in Dutch history, the interception is no small feat considering the port of Rotterdam is a primary transit point for Latin American cocaine heading to Europe, the AP reported.
Authorities discovered the cocaine in a banana shipment from Ecuador on July 13, keeping the seizure secret amid an ongoing investigation, the outlet reported.
#Nieuws: De Douane heeft op 13 juli 2023 de grootste drugsvangst ooit in de Rotterdamse haven gedaan. Ruim 8000 kilo ter waarde van 600 miljoen euro.https://t.co/Gq82zSt4Cr
— Douane (@Douane) August 10, 2023
The European cocaine industry is on the rise with enhanced competition assuming a deadly nature, especially in the Netherlands, The AP reported. (RELATED: Drug Use Worldwide Hits Staggering Highs As Cocaine, Meth Markets Boom)
Violence is also rising in Ecuador, where President Guillermo Lasso placed two provinces under emergency status last month, as traffickers battle for port access, the outlet reported.
Lasso has pledged to fight organized crime in the country following the Wednesday assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio.
No arrests were made in connection with the discovery and Dutch authorities destroyed the cocaine, according to The AP.