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
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
'Escalation? The Russians Have Already Escalated': Former Estonian Spy Chief On Why The West Should Continue To Support Ukraine
2American Investor Known For Russian Nightclub, Pro-Ukrainian Stances Found Dead In Washington
3Ukraine Says Kherson Attack Repelled, Kharkiv Hit By Deadly Russian Bombing
4Russians Blame 'Sabotage' For Blasts At Crimean Ammo Depot; Kyiv Hints At Role
5Fit For Fighting: Combat Training For Civilians Now Part Of Ukraine's Wartime Lifestyle
6China Says It Will Send Troops To Russia For Joint Military Drills
7Estonia Removes Soviet WWII Memorial In Border City
8Russia Pounds Kharkiv Region With Fresh Air And Artillery Strikes
9Leaving Aghavno, Returning To Zabux: Hopes And Fears As Armenia Hands Over Village To Azerbaijan
10German Troops Rejoin EU's Bosnian Mission, Sparking Russian Anger
Subscribe
