Bulgarian authorities seize 170 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a banana shipment from Ecuador

Sofia, Mar 26 (AP) Bulgarian customs officials confiscated about 170 kilograms (370 pounds) of cocaine from a ship transporting bananas from Ecuador, prosecutors said Tuesday.

District prosecutor Georgi Chinev said the drugs were hidden in a fruit container on the cargo ship Madison 2, which also made a stopover in Malta. He valued the cocaine at 6.2 million euros (USD 6.8 million).

According to the head of the customs agency, Petya Bankova, it was the largest drug seizure at the port of Burgas.

She said the drugs were stashed in 150 packages hidden behind a factory-made wall in one of the fruit containers. The ship left the port after unloading the cargo, Bankova said.

An investigation has been launched into the intended recipients of the cocaine, who could face up to 20 years in jail if convicted on drug trafficking charges.

Bulgaria, which has taken steps in recent years against drug trafficking, is considered a transit point for cocaine from Latin America on the smuggling route to Western Europe. (AP) GSP