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$290M Cocaine Haul Found ‘Skillfully Concealed’ in Massive Banana Shipment
Italian police said the cocaine was hidden in 650 packages and could have fetched nearly $290 million on the street.
- On Tuesday, Italian police seized about 1,700 pounds of pure cocaine worth an estimated $286 million hidden inside banana containers at the port of Vado Ligure, which arrived from Ecuador.
- Traffickers frequently conceal cocaine in banana shipments globally, with seizures reported in Greece, Russia, Norway, and the Dominican Republic; in March, three people were charged in the United Kingdom for allegedly attempting to traffic nearly $100 million worth of cocaine in fruit.
- Guardia di Finanza reported the drugs were divided into 650 packages and "skillfully concealed" in a refrigerated container, following an earlier 340-kilogram seizure at the same port valued at 120 million euros earlier this month.
- Vado Ligure's role as a major European gateway makes it an "attractive" target for international drug traffickers, prompting authorities to intensify monitoring following repeated seizures at the port.
- The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime estimates at least 30% of cocaine bound for Europe passes through West Africa, where regional seizures reached about 30 tonnes in 2025 and the United Nations warns trafficking networks are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
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Banana Pipeline Outsmarts Borders—Again
Italian police just pulled $290 million worth of “extremely pure” cocaine out of a banana container headed for Europe, raising hard questions about who is really guarding global trade routes. Story Snapshot Italian authorities seized about 770 kilograms of high-purity cocaine hidden in a refrigerated banana shipment from Ecuador at the port of Vado Ligure....
Coverage Details
Total News Sources30
Leaning Left2Leaning Right7Center12Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Center
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources are Center
57% Center
C 57%
R 33%
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