Over half ton of cocaine discovered in banana boxes in Chiajna warehouse

Over half a ton of cocaine was discovered in banana boxes in a fruit and vegetable warehouse in Chiajna locality, Ilfov County, the market value of the drugs being around 25 million euro. "On 26.07.2021, the prosecutors of the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism [DIICOT] - the central structure, were notified by judicial police officers with the Bucharest BCCO [Bureau for Combating Organized Crime - e.n.] regarding the fact that in a warehouse in Ilfov County a quantity of 503 kilograms cocaine was discovered disguised as 35 boxes of bananas. Following the conduct of investigations, it was established that the said quantity of cocaine reached Romanian territory in a transport of approximately 20 tons of bananas, coming from Colombia, and was acquired in another European Union state. The market value of the indisposed drugs is approximately 25 million euro. Through the DIICOT ordinance investigations in rem have also started, regarding the crimes mentioned in art. 2 and art. 3 or Law no. 143/2000," DIICOT reports. According to an article by publication Radio Free Europe, the drugs were brought into Europe through the port of Antwerp in Belgium, then the transport entered Romania through Constanta Port and reached the warehouse in Chiajna. The one to notify the authorities was the importer of the bananas. The drug transport supposedly entered through Constanta Port without being detected by authorities, because no scanner in Romanian customs is currently functional.AGERPRES(RO - author: Eusebi Manolache, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Razvan-Adrian Pandea, editor: Maria Voican)