Spanish police said Monday they have seized 67 kilograms of cocaine found inside dozens of hollowed-out pineapples at Madrid's main wholesale fruit and vegetable market.
They learned that at the local farmers market, about 500 pineapple tops, or crowns, are thrown away every weekend. There was no shortage of raw material.
Ministry officials warned pineapple farmers that they must refrain from conducting any work that might have an impact on nearby wetlands, ponds, or protected lands.
Since 1977, Costa Rica has imported more than 185,000 metric tons of agrochemicals. In that same time period, the country's consumption of these substances has more than tripled.
Edgardo Araya, a legislator for the Broad Front Party from Alajuela, and a number of community representatives from pineapple-producing zones, on Monday urged the executive branch to pass a decree that would place a moratorium on pineapple production for five years. They argued that pineapple producers have not been held accountable for the environmental impact of their activities.
Pineapple is one of Costa Rica's fastest-growing and most lucrative agricultural exports. And with China's market on the horizon, export numbers could soon double. Is the country ready for that?
The alleged traffickers hid the drugs inside sealed buckets of pineapple juice driven in refrigerated trucks from Costa Rica to the Mexican state of Sinaloa. The United States is believed to be the final destination for the narcotics.
