A record seizure of cocaine has been made in a port outside the Dominican Republic's capital Santo Domingo. Authorities in the Caribbean nation said on Friday that 9.5 tons of cocaine were discovered in a shipment of bananas bound for Belgium.
The narcotics were found in 320 bags in two containers in the port of Puerto Caucedo, according to Carlos Devers, communications chief for the country's drug directorate.
According to Devers, the seizure is the largest single one among the Caribbean islands, despite extensive drug smuggling taking place via West Indian islands from South America to Europe and the USA. At least ten people are being investigated for involvement.
Investigators in the Dominican Republic are investigating where the shipment came from, and the bananas that were supposed to accompany it and conceal the drug smuggling were grown in Guatemala.
