No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeDrug traffickingSpain police seize tons of cocaine among pineapples shipped from Costa Rica...

Spain police seize tons of cocaine among pineapples shipped from Costa Rica

MADRID — Spanish police seized 2.5 tons of cocaine hidden among pineapples on a ship from Costa Rica in one of the biggest ever seizures of the drug, they said Wednesday.

The cocaine was stuffed in 2,296 packages hidden among the fruit in a shipping container that arrived at the Mediterranean port of Algeciras. It was tracked and seized later at a warehouse near Madrid, police said in a statement.

The authorities gave no estimate for the street value of the cocaine but online newspaper El Confidencial estimated it was worth over 150 million euros ($200 million).

“This is one of the biggest seizures carried out in European Union ports,” the police statement said.

Police arrested six people in the Madrid suburb of Valdemoro, where the alleged drug traffickers are accused of storing the cocaine in a warehouse.

The authorities located the drug shipment in Algeciras thanks to a tip-off and tailed traffickers as they transported the cocaine to the warehouse.

Spain’s close ties to Latin America have made it the key entry point for cocaine from the continent bound for Europe.

Roughly 4.5 metric tons of cocaine with ties to Costa Rican has been seized in the last 24 hours, Public Security Minister Mario Zamora said.

 

Trending Now

El Salvador’s Fruit-Laden Bamboo Pole Festival in Carrizal

To the rhythm of music, the roar of fireworks, and doses of aguardiente, hundreds of Salvadorans carried massive bamboo poles laden with fruit on...

True Stories from Costa Rica’s Tourism Frontlines

Tourists—can’t live with them, can’t live without them. They, and the money they spend here, account for close to 10% of the GDP in...

Costa Rica’s Ocean Forecasting System Protects Cocos Island Marine Life

Costa Rica has rolled out a new ocean forecasting system on Cocos Island, aiming to improve marine safety, support conservation, and strengthen the country's...

Fuego Volcano Forces Evacuations in Guatemala Amid Ashfall and Pyroclastic Flows

At least 330 people were evacuated on Thursday in Guatemala following an eruption of the Fuego volcano, located 35 km from the capital, according...

Costa Rica Fights Drug Trafficking as Transit Hub Despite Resource Strains

Costa Rica remains a key route for drugs heading to North America, despite efforts to crack down on trafficking. The U.S. Department of State’s...

Salvadoran Journalist Killed in Honduras Despite Protection

Salvadoran journalist Javier Antonio Hércules Salinas was shot and killed in Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras, about 200 km northwest of Tegucigalpa. Gunmen ambushed...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica