A drug delivery attempt of nearly 112 kilograms of cocaine – the biggest drug bust in Ukraine this year so far – was intercepted during the past few days, as state authorities found the drugs hidden in a freight container filled with bananas that came from Ecuador to Pivdennyi Port in Odesa.
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine stated on its website on Sept. 9 that they discovered 100 packages of drugs that are cumulatively worth $17 million.
This is not the first large cocaine contraband to arrive in Odesa from overseas since the start of the year.
At least three times in 2020, the authorities reported that they busted cocaine supplies in the same port. Each time cocaine was found in banana containers that arrived from South American countries.
Similar packages were previously found three times this year: in February, May, and August.
In February, a container with 30 kilograms of cocaine from Chile was smuggled in with a cargo of automobiles. It also came to Pivdennyi Port and consisted of 31 packages marked by the fictitious character of the Monopoly board-game. The State Border Guard Service estimated the cocaine to be worth over Hr 90 million.
In May, officers found 45 packages of cocaine, with an estimated worth of Hr 200 million, marked with cartoon character Minion. Over 53 kilograms of narcotics also came from Ecuador in a container hidden among bananas and the packages were wrapped in lead packaging to reduce the likelihood of scanners or service dogs detecting them.
In August, almost 54 kilograms of cocaine were packed in 47 packages and hidden in ventilation hatches. Each package also had its own brand marking in the form of letters and numbers which allegedly indicated affiliation to a particular drug syndicate. The estimated worth of the drugs is around Hr 200 million.
