Richard Parks Authorities in the Dominican Republic have confiscated a staggering 9.5 tonnes of cocaine, marking the country’s largest drug seizure ever. The drugs, valued at $250 million (£196 million), were hidden in a shipment of bananas that arrived at the Caucedo seaport in the capital city of Santo Domingo.
Major Cocaine Shipment from Guatemala Destined for Belgium Intercepted
The shipment, which had been sent from Guatemala, was intended for Belgium, according to Carlos Devers, spokesperson for the Dominican Republic’s anti-drug agency. Authorities discovered that traffickers attempted to transfer the cocaine from the banana container to another shipping container bound for Europe.
In total, ten individuals have been arrested in connection with the operation. The seizure breaks the previous record of 2.6 tonnes found at the same seaport in 2006. This new record highlights the growing scale of drug trafficking through the Caribbean.
This year alone, Dominican authorities have seized nearly 47 tonnes of drugs, underscoring the country’s role as a major battleground in the fight against international drug trafficking.
According to InSight Crime, a think tank focused on organized crime, the Dominican Republic is increasingly becoming a key trafficking route for cocaine bound for Europe. The report notes that demand for cocaine in Europe has surged in recent years, with consumption doubling between 2011 and 2023. As a result, traffickers have turned to the Caribbean as an ideal smuggling route to meet this growing demand.
InSight Crime’s analysis points to large Dominican transport hubs like Caucedo as providing significant opportunities for traffickers to move drugs out of South America and into European markets. With such seizures continuing, experts warn that more action is needed to disrupt these trafficking networks and prevent further drug flows through the region.