Delivery was supposed to go to Germany: Customs discover coke worth 118 million euros

By Annette Birschel

Vlissingen (Netherlands) - Dutch customs have discovered around 1575 kilograms of cocaine in the port of Vlissingen. The drugs were found during a regular inspection and have a retail value of around 118 million euros, the public prosecutor's office announced.

Rotterdam and Antwerp are the main ports of entry for drug smuggling in Europe.
Rotterdam and Antwerp are the main ports of entry for drug smuggling in Europe.  © Kristof Van Accom/BELGA/dpa

The cocaine was reportedly hidden in a load of fruit. This came from Colombia and was bound for Germany. The drugs were destroyed.

The ports of Antwerp in Belgium and Rotterdam in the Netherlands are the main ports of entry for cocaine smuggling in Europe.

However, due to tighter controls and security measures, organized gangs are increasingly switching to smaller ports such as Vlissingen in the southwest of the Netherlands, near Antwerp, according to the police.

In mid-November, around 1000 kilograms of cocaine were found there within a week. At the end of October, customs investigators discovered 600 kilograms of cocaine in a load of bananas.