Drug Smugglers Deliver Shipment Of Cocaine Worth 68 Million Pounds To Czech Supermarkets By Mistake

Cocaine worth almost 68 million pounds has been seized by police in the Czech Republic after it was mistakenly delivered to supermarkets in banana shipments. 

Workers in several supermarkets across the country discovered powder-filled packages in the banana crates, which are thought to have come from Colombia, the Independent reported. In total, around 998 kg (2,200lb) of the drug was found moulded in cubes around the fruit crate. 

The police in the central European country informed that supermarket workers in the capital city Prague, as well as in the towns of Jicin and Rychnov nad Kneznou, first reported the suspicious blocks, with police dispatching dog units to investigate.

Also Read | Latvian National Arrested At Mumbai Airport With Nearly 7 Kg Of Cocaine

In a Twitter statement, the officials said, “Criminal investigators found that goods of the same batch were distributed to several other places in the Czech Republic. Therefore, in cooperation with the [customs administration of the Czech Republic] and other entities, it is currently conducting inspections of these places and other actions.”

Further, the cops added that they were now set to work with international authorities to further their investigation. They said that the information about consignments is kept outside the territory of the Czech Republic. “For this reason, we will use the institute of international police and judicial cooperation,” they added.

In their social media statement, the authorities also went on to inform that the case was taken over by the National Drug Control Centre, which will now conduct the investigation.

Citing United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Independent reported that cocaine production is at almost record levels having doubled between 2014 and 2019. Colombia accounts for the vast majority of this, the UN added in the 2021 report. 

Also Read | Cocaine Worth ₹9.11 Crore Found Inside Woman's Body At Delhi Airport: Cops

Meanwhile, this incident comes after the police in Colombia seized more than 1,300 kilograms of cocaine disguised as frozen potatoes and chips. The authorities said that they consider it as one of the most innovative attempts to traffic drugs in recent years.