A total of 223 kilograms of cocaine were found in banana boxes delivered to German Lidl stores in the states of Berlin and Brandenburg, Christian Lanninger, spokesman for the Berlin-Brandenburg Customs and Excise Service, reported on Friday, MTI reports.
In an interview with the Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung, the official said that the black market price of the drug can be 50-80 euros per gram, and the seized amount is worth 10-15 million euros. Or even more if the drug is mixed with other substances.
Cocaine was discovered on Thursday in cartons of bananas delivered to seven Lidl stores in Berlin and four in Brandenburg, hidden among the fruit. A total of 119 kilos of cocaine were found in the Berlin stores, and a total of 104 kilos in the Brandenburg stores. The authorities destroyed the drugs on Friday.
It is not yet clear where the found packages come from. Cocaine usually reaches Europe from South America, touching Central America, usually in containers via the ports of Antwerp or Rotterdam. Part of the reason is that despite being transported thousands of kilometers and across at least one ocean, bananas remain relatively cheap.
