Authorities in the Dominican Republic have intercepted the country’s largest-ever cocaine shipment, a massive 9,500kg hidden within a banana shipment at a port in Santo Domingo, the capital.

The drugs, concealed in 320 bags with an estimated street value of $250 million (£196 million), were reportedly destined for Europe. Preliminary investigations indicate the bananas arrived from Guatemala, according to the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD).

Carlos Denvers, the DNCD’s communications chief, revealed that “many unknown individuals tried to transfer the drugs to another container that would be shipped on a vessel to Belgium.”

This seizure far surpasses the previous record in 2006, when authorities confiscated 2,580kg of cocaine at the same port. At least 10 individuals connected to the port are currently under investigation.

The bust highlights a troubling resurgence of the Caribbean as a key drug trafficking route from Colombia to Europe. Recent monitoring reports indicate an uptick in cocaine use across Western Europe, with nations like the UK, Belgium, France, and Spain seeing significant increases.

In 2020, Europe accounted for 21% of the world’s cocaine users, according to a United Nations report. The growing demand is also driving public health crises, as England and Wales recorded their highest level of drug-poisoning deaths in 30 years, fueled by a 30% increase in fatalities involving cocaine.

The Dominican Republic’s record-breaking seizure underscores the ongoing challenges in combating international drug trafficking networks and the rising impact of cocaine use on global health.