Ukraine Seizes Cocaine Worth $51 Million In Cargo Ship

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) says it has seized a shipment of South American narcotics worth some $51 million.

The SBU said it found more than a quarter of a ton of cocaine hidden in "containers with bananas" during an inspection on a South American cargo ship that docked in the Black Sea port of Odesa.

The statement did not identify the vessel's country of origin.

"A rapid analysis identified the packaged powder as cocaine," the SBU said in a statement on March 21.

"The total weight of the drug is 257 kilograms and its estimated cost on the black market is more than $51 million," the statement said.

The drugs were meant for the European market, the SBU said, adding that it has opened a criminal case in drug smuggling on a large scale.

It also launched an investigation to identify possible suspects in the case.

With reporting by AFP