Police confiscated more than eight metric tons of cocaine in Antwerp port hidden in a shipment of bananas from Ecuador, Dutch News online portal reported on Friday.
The drugs, with a street value of some $650 million, were found on Monday. Dutch police have arrested a 46-year-old Belgian truck driver and four Dutch citizens in connection with the drug bust.
Dutch authorities say it is the biggest ever haul of cocaine seized in the Netherlands or Belgium.
The 20,000 kilos of bananas, confiscated along with the drugs, have been donated to the Blijdorp Zoo in Rotterdam.
“The police investigation is now focusing on the final destination for the drugs and the financing,” Dutch News said citing prosecutors.
Despite the high priority given by the Dutch government to fighting illegal drug trafficking, the Netherlands continue to be an important transit point for drugs entering Europe.
