Over 40 kg of Cocaine Seized in Banana Shipment at Burgas Port

Customs officers at Burgas port have uncovered over 40 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a shipment of bananas from Ecuador. The illicit drug, valued at approximately 19 million leva, was discovered during a detailed customs inspection of the sea container.

In recent days, two ships carrying banana containers from South America arrived at the port, with Bulgarian companies receiving the shipments. These companies are primarily involved in the banana trade, and all containers undergo thorough inspections, including X-ray scans and physical checks.

During a routine scan on one of the Ecuadorian banana containers using specialized X-ray equipment last Friday, customs officers detected an unusual density in the refrigeration unit's natural cavities. This prompted a more in-depth physical inspection by officers from the Customs Agency’s "Fighting Drug Trafficking" department, along with the Border Police. Upon dismantling the covers of the unit, they found 35 taped packages containing a white crystalline substance. Initial drug tests confirmed that the substance was high-purity cocaine, with a total weight of 40,802 grams.

A pre-trial investigation has been launched by an investigating customs inspector, under the direction of the Burgas District Prosecutor's Office. The inspection is part of an ongoing collaboration between the Customs Agency and the Border Police to tighten security at Bulgaria's external borders.