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Record 4.5 tonnes of cocaine worth €1 billion seized in Hamburg

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
Record 4.5 tonnes of cocaine worth €1 billion seized in Hamburg
The cocaine was seized from a shipping container in Hamburg. Photo: Hauptzollamt Hamburg/DPA

Germany's customs service said Friday it had seized a 4.5 tonne cocaine shipment, the country's largest ever, with an estimated street value of one billion euros.

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The illegal drugs were discovered two weeks ago in a Netherlands-bound shipping container from Uruguay during a search in the northern port city of Hamburg, they said.

When customs agents opened the container, which according to the manifesto was loaded with soybeans, they found more than 200 sports bags packed with over 4,200 packages of compressed cocaine.

READ ALSO: Cocaine worth €25million found in Aldi banana boxes in northern Germany

The 4.5 tonnes surpassed total seizures of 3.8 tonnes made in Hamburg in 2017.

"This enormous quantity represents the largest single seizure of cocaine in Germany," said the customs service in a statement.

"Assuming that this probably very pure cocaine can be diluted to triple the amount for street sale, the 4.5 tonnes have a street value of approximately one billion euros."

The cocaine being destroyed. Photo: Hauptzollamt Hamburg/DPA

The service said that "the cocaine seized has already been destroyed in secret and under extensive security precautions".

The above picture taken by customs in Hamburg shows the cocaine being destroyed at a waste incineration plant.

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