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Greek authorities seize 93 kilograms of cocaine off ship from Ecuador

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Greek authorities seize 93 kilograms of cocaine off ship from Ecuador
August 10, 2024
Article Body Text Customs agents have seized around 93 kilograms (205 pounds) of cocaine at the port in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki, authorities said. The cocaine was found on a ship that had sailed from Ecuador to Thessaloniki carrying a shipment of bananas, which would then be delivered over land to Romania by a French company, according to Greece's Independent Authority for Public Revenue, or IAPR, which oversees customs operations. Customs agents X-rayed a container and found 80 packages hidden inside the container’s cooling mechanism, IAPR said in a statement released late Friday. “Inspectors immediately impounded the drugs and the container and handed over the drugs to the police ... the investigation to track down the recipients of the drugs continues,” the statement said. The estimated street value of the cocaine was more than 2.9 million euros or $3.16 million, authorities said. Last year, Greek customs agents made similar discoveries. In May, more than 100 kilograms (220.5 pounds) of cocaine was intercepted also at the Thessaloniki port and in a shipment of bananas from Latin America. In June 2023, Greek drug enforcement officials again found cocaine hidden in a shipping container bringing bananas from Latin America to the port of Thessaloniki. Some 161 kilograms or 355 pounds of the illegal drug was stuffed into hidden compartments in the container. That haul is estimated to have had a street value of at least 3.2 million euros or $3.5 million.
Content Type Text
Language English
NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
Subtitles / Dubbing Available No
Network VOA
Embargo Date August 10, 2024 18:09 EDT
Byline Associated Press
Brand / Language Service Voice of America - English