Narcotics found between fruit at two Lidl supermarkets in Noord-Brabant

Quantities of drugs were discovered between fruit at two supermarkets in Noord-Brabant on Monday. It involved Lidl branches in Sint-Oedenrode and Den Bosch, Omroep Brabant reported.

Insiders told the broadcaster that dozens of kilograms of cocaine were found hidden between shipments of bananas from Ecuador. The police have not confirmed this.

The police reported around 3:00 p.m. on Monday that a batch of narcotics had been found in a shipment of fruit at a supermarket in Sint-Oedenrode, but provided no further details. Later on Monday afternoon, there were no bananas on the shelves of the Lidl in Sint-Oedenrode due to “delivery problems,” according to the broadcaster.

At around 4:00 p.m., the police launched an investigation at a Lidl branch on Oude Vlijmenseweg in Den Bosch. There, too, they found drugs in a batch of fruit. The police cordoned off the area around the store and stationed armed officers at the goods delivery entrance.

The drugs found at both stores were removed and destroyed. The police are investigating their origin. So far, investigators have not disclosed how much and what drugs are involved, nor whether any other supermarkets were being checked.

A Lidl spokesperson told Omroep Brabant that the supermarket chain is aware of the matter and that the police are handling the investigation.