VÉLEZ-MÁLAGA, SPAIN - Spanish police seized nearly 1,000 kilos (2204 lbs) of cocaine hidden in a shipment of avocados belonging to an Axarquia fruit and vegetable company late last year that is valued at up to $182 million dollars.

The bust that uncovered the cocaine occured after the Costa del Sol Unit against Drugs and Organised Crime (Udyco) caught wind that traffickers might be avoiding authorities by hiding their stashes in fruit and vegetable warehouses. Utilizing the element of surprise, the police raided the suspected warehouse and discovered a cache of cocaine underneath a recently shipped assortment of avocados.

For Axarquia, this bust was the largest of 2018, and the second largest in provincial history. According to local news source EuroWeeklyNews, the cocaine discovered “in its present condition is said to have a value of around €60 million (US$68.5 million), but police say once it was mixed with other substances, it could have had a market value of more than €160 million (US$182.5 million)."

Police officers explained, “the cocaine had entered Spain hidden in a container which travelled through the Port of Algeciras from a Latin American country before being transported to a warehouse in Velez-Malaga by road.” Four arrests were made at the scene of the raid, and the men are currently awaiting trial for alleged involvement in a drug trafficking circle.

AndNowUKnow will continue to report on all drug busts, be they avocado, banana, or any other type of produce.