Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

German customs seize 1,580 pounds of cocaine from Caribbean

German customs seize 1,580 pounds of cocaine from Caribbean | iNFOnews.ca
Packages of cocaine are on display at the customs office in Hamburg,, Germany, Friday, Feb. 3, 2017. A container carrying 717 kilograms (1,580 pounds) of cocaine which they estimate would have produced drugs with a street value of 145 million euros ($156 million), was seized in the Port of Hamburg. The director of the customs investigation office says it may be the largest amount of cocaine to have ever been seized in Germany. It was seized on Jan. 18 after it was found in a shipping container from the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao. (Axel Heimken/dpa via AP)

BERLIN – Customs officials in the German port of Hamburg say they have seized 717 kilograms (1,580 pounds) of cocaine, which they estimate would have produced drugs with a street value of 145 million euros ($156 million).

The head of the Hamburg customs investigation office, Rene Matschke, said Friday that the cocaine — the largest single seizure of the drug in Germany to date — had a very high degree of purity, news agency dpa reported. It was seized on Jan. 18 after it was found in a shipping container from the Dutch Caribbean island of Curacao.

Matschke said that an international gang was behind the cocaine shipment and that there was a hostage-taking linked to the drugs in the Netherlands on Monday.

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.

Related Articles