Enormous cocaine bust in Rotterdam

Customs controls in the port of Rotterdam on Thursday the 17th of April revealed almost 130 kilograms of cocaine in containers. The illegal drugs were discovered in two containers. One of these was filled with scrap metal from Bolivia in which 60 kilograms of cocaine was hidden. The container was released in Rotterdam by transit to another ship to Portugal. Another container from Nicaragua was found to contain three bags with 70 kilograms of cocaine, hidden in a shipment of nuts. The container was transfered in Panama to a ship bound for Rotterdam. This container was also bound for transit, to England. Knowing how drugs are packaged, it is thought that the bags from the container would have been taken out before the load went on to its final destination. This is also called the 'rip-off method.' The total haul of cocaine is worth around €4.5 million. It has been seized and destroyed. The HARC team, a cooperative unit between the Sea Port Police, Customs and Fiscal Information and Investigation Services (FIOD), is launching an inquiry.